


Ain't No Sunshine (When He's Gone)

by justmagnusbane



Series: California Dreamin' [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: COMM sequel, California On My Mind, Crime, F/F, Gangs, Hints of dubcon, Illegal activity, M/M, Mentions of Past Attempted Rape, Mentions of Prostitution, Mobs, Murder, Violence, organised crime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2018-09-23 19:22:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 94,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9672617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justmagnusbane/pseuds/justmagnusbane
Summary: Magnus has been arrested and charged for the murder of Camille Belcourt. Alec is left behind to pick up the pieces and figure out who is after Magnus... and why his father may be involved.[Returned from being on hiatus, chapters posted weekly]





	1. It's Not Warm When He's Away

**Author's Note:**

> HEEIIIIIIIII.... It's been a while guys but I am back and ready to go! 
> 
> First of all, thank you guys so much for the support.... even during the break between COMM and this I was getting some super sweet messages on tumblr and in the comments so... thanks BOO
> 
> Okay, onto the story. Firstly, I have to issue some warnings... Primarily, the story is going to involve mentions of pretty much everything; prostitution, murder, drug abuse, sexual assault, violence, etc. So if you are sensitive to any of the above topics, be warned. I will be posting chapter warnings each time so you should be pretty prepared but just go into this with the knowledge that its way darker than California On My Mind. 
> 
> CHAPTER WARNINGS: Prostitution, mentions of murder.

  


 

 

_5 years ago_

Crisp and brittle leaves shattered under the weight of her heel as she sauntered by. The alleyway around her was understandably ominous and echoed the beat of her heels upon the ground. Perhaps it was her confidence, or even her ignorance, that made her feel so comfortable in such a dangerous place. Camille was used to feeling at home around danger.

Camille continued down the street, head held high and body rigid with tension. She ignored the lingering sensation of being watched for the sake of image, instead speeding up slightly. Despite the pattering of her heart in her chest, she did not alert those around – though they were few and far between – of her stalker.

Eventually Camille could see it; the towering, looming structure of the Four Seasons.

Camille quickly pulled her coat tighter around her before hurrying across the road, weary of the rain that had begun to fall.

She was greeted at the door by, to the untrained eye, a completely normal bellhop. Knowing him to be special, Camille nodded her head. The “bellhop” smirked darkly but with a sweep of his hand, granted her entrance.

Slowly, Camille stepped into the hotel, its extravagance blowing her away for a moment. She stared in awe at the shadows the yellow-tinted lights cast over every delicate piece of artistry in the room, speechless.

“It is rather beautiful, isn’t it?”

Camille startled and despite stumbling slightly, turned to face the voice.

“I’ve always had a strange fascination with Seattle”, he said, voice deep and steady. “You never know what might happen in a city such as this.”

Camille swallowed nervously, her mouth drying with her inability to speak. She nodded sheepishly.

He seemed vaguely amused by her lack of words. “Surprised to see me, Camille?” he toyed.

Camille tensed, eyes locked on him with fear, but nodded.

“Good”, he said simply. He approached her slowly, his heeled boots tapping sharply against the marble floor.

From the corner of her eye, Camille spotted her previous pursuer as he entered the hotel. His clothes were as dark as always and his face as shadowed as she had come to recognise. She quickly looked away; no matter how many times Camille might have the pleasure of seeing him, meeting his eye would never be easy.

“I wonder”, the voice spoke again, breaking her from her reverie. “Why is it that you are hiding from me, Camille?”

Camille looked down at her hands nervously, toying with the ring on her middle finger; she vaguely remembered stealing it from the house of wealthy business man she had bedded not too long ago.

“I didn’t ask for this”, Camille eventually stuttered. “I was simply a… night time visitor.”

He laughed loudly. “Oh Camille”, he chastised, his British accent only exaggerating his mockery of her. “You really seem to think that prostitution is all I require of you, don’t you?”

Camille glanced nervously across the room to her pursier before meeting the businessman’s gaze once more. “What more could you possibly want from me?”

His smirk sent a chill down Camille’s spy. Tipping his head slightly, he waved his accomplice forward. “You remember Bevans?”

Camille looked across at her stalker, the man who had followed her relentlessly for weeks, and nodded. “We’ve seen an awful lot of each other”, she said, voice somewhat venomous. Bevans smirked at her tone.

“You see”, Bevan’s boss said to draw her attention. “While Bevans was rather good at… convincing you to attend this meeting, that’s not all he’s been doing.”

Camille spared a thought for just how Bevan’s had convinced her, the memories of his ever-present shadow casting a shiver down her spine.

“Bevans has also helped me out a little bit. He’s been awfully helpful in researching you, Camelia Monrova.”

Camille stiffened, having not heard that name in years. Her fear pulsated through her uncontrollably now, and she heard a deep laugh as she began to shake.

“Does that frighten you dear? That I know all there is to know about you?” His voice was captivating but chill-inducing as he paced around her. He slowly let his fingers graze her hip as he passed by, something that made Camille let out a most pathetic whimper.

“What do you want?” she choked, clutching her arms around her body as though it might provide comfort.

He took a deep breath, pretending to think for a moment. “Little girl, known to her family as Camelia. Oh poor little Camelia, she was never loved, was she? Always fighting for daddy’s attention, until one day she got too much of it.”

Camille felt the inevitable pooling of tears in her eyes and she took an unsteady breath to settle herself. To see the effect he was having on her, only motivated him to continue picking her apart with his cruel words.

“Eventually, darling Camelia just couldn’t take it anymore and ran away. In the meantime she slept through the city’s men, scattering her heirlooms across the globe in her pursuit for money.” Despite his obvious wealth, he spat the word as though it were venom.

He moved towards Camille once more, circling her like she were his prey. Really, she was, and the way she folded to his mercy was only confirmation of that.

“Did you know”, he whispered deeply against her ear, “that your name means ‘beautiful flower’… and oh how you have blossomed over the years.”

Camille shivered, letting out a faint sob. “What do you want?”

“I want what everybody wants”, he chuckled. “I want success and luckily, you can help me get it.”

“How?”

Camille almost screamed when she felt his fingers trail across her face before carefully tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Camille looked down, her tears rolling freely now. When she felt a finger on her chin forcing her head up, she unwillingly met his eyes.

“You’ll find out”, he vowed. “My little Camelia. I think you know some very important people to me.”

Camille swallowed nervously, watching warily as Bevans approached them from behind.

He slowly reached behind Camille, accepting whatever it was that Bevans extended to him. Camille stared in shock at the small pocket knife.

“How do I know I can trust you to stay loyal, Camille?” he asked mockingly.

Camille felt her heart race and her throat constrict. “You have my word”, she pledged, despite knowing that it would never be enough.

He laughed somewhat sarcastically. “Not quite what I had in mind, Camille.”

Camille gasped and began to struggle violently as he drew her hand up to meet the blade. Immediately she felt Bevans’ arms around her, holding her in place and at his master’s mercy. Camille let out a blood-curdling scream as she was branded with his initials forever.

 

…

 

 

_Present Day_

 

“What do we do?” Alec whispered helplessly, having forced himself to look away from the closed door that separated him from Magnus. He settled into one of the many chairs scattered around the room, hanging his head in his hands.

Izzy sighed, leaning forward to touch Alec’s shoulder gently. “We wait”, she said. “We wait until they tell us exactly what they are charging him with.”

“We already know”, Catarina piped up, her voice thick with restrained emotion. “He’s a murder suspect.”

Simon stopped in his pacing, moving towards Alec with uncontained interest. “But what exactly did the cops say?”

“They said the usual shit, Simon”, Alec growled. “And then they called him a fucking murder suspect.”

Izzy winced at Alec’s tone; he had always been one to translate his fear into anger. She tightened her grip on his shoulder, drawing his attention to her. “Brother”, she warned.

Alec sighed and sat up slowly before shrugging Izzy’s hand away. “No, Izzy. What does he want me to say? Does he want a fully detailed script?”

Simon looked away quickly, reluctant to look at Alec in his embarrassment. Quickly he stumbled to the other side of the room, ignoring Raphael’s sympathetic but wildly angry look.

Izzy looked between her brother and Simon. Never before had their group dealt with such a situation but never before had Alec shown hostility to Simon, someone who he knew gravitated towards gentleness.

“Alec, we _will_ sort this out”, she vowed, hoping beyond words that her promises would not fall short.

Alec exhale was shaky and when he spoke his voice cracked slightly. “We can never have 5 minutes… just 5 minutes.”

“I know”, Izzy said sadly, reaching out to stroke Alec’s arm once more. Alec did not brush her away nor did he show signs that he recognised her touch. Instead, he simply sunk deeper into his chair.

Jace shifted in his chair opposite Alec. “Surely we can get a lawyer, right? Bring him or her down here?”

Catarina scoffed but her eyes were far from harsh. “Where do you suspect we’ll find the money?”

“Noted”, Jace yielded immediately, much to Alec’s obvious delight. Alec’s laugh was mocking and void of real amusement.

“We don’t have the money for a lawyer to get him out on bail, let alone vindicate him. For whatever reason they think Magnus murdered Camille from outside prison bars and in reality, they have a rocky history between them to give him a motivation”, Alec explained monotonously, having given up on feeling any of his conflicting emotions right now.

Raphael looked angered by Alec’s words but reluctantly nodded in agreement. “And they have a recent dispute that could have easily incited revenge.”

Alec looked up at Raphael and frowned. When Raphael simply sat in silence, pointedly meeting his eye, Alec understood; him. Camille’s recent act of assault against Alec could easily be used against Magnus as motivation for revenge.

“Me”, Alec nodded sadly.

The rest of the group exchanged pitying looks.

“As I said, we’ll fix this”, Izzy insisted. “They can’t convict an innocent man, Alec.”

“No”, Alec agreed. “But they can convict a guilty man.”

Izzy was startled, blinking in surprise at Alec’s words. “You think he did it?”

Alec snorted darkly. “No but they do… and that’s enough.”

 

 

….

 

 

_5 years ago_

  
“This is ridiculous”, Camille growled as she continued her journey down the derelict hall. The white-washed walls were slowly wasting away, peeling wallpaper floating to form piles on the scarlet red carpet.

Camille continued to glide down the hall with as much grace and confidence as she could muster, well aware of the familiar sound of footsteps following her.

Over time she had become somewhat used to Bevans and his constant surveying of her; always ensuring she do her job and she do it well. In what she had simply been told was “the pursuit of success”, she had been given multiple roles to play out.

Tonight, she was playing a reoccurring character.

She called her Venus.

The sharp sounding knock of her knuckles on the wooden door drew Camille back into character. The all too familiar feeling of fear and adrenalin overwhelmed her and Camille felt herself bounce in her position.

Camille immediately stopped her bouncing when she heard a cough she recognised as Bevans’ warning. Straightening herself out quickly, Camille looked towards to door, ignoring Bevans who she knew would go unnoticed; he always did.

The hotel room door opened slowly, the poor old thing creaking it’s protests at being opened. From behind the frame, a short, stout man emerged.

He was barely 5’3 and his body was rounded and plump. His hair was thinning on his head, the silvery colour making the alabaster colour of his skin stick out more so than it already did. His lips curled into a smile when he spotted her.

“Venus”, he greeted warmly, adjusting his expensive cufflinks.

“Mr Beldrum”, Camille greeted, her voice smooth and slick with confidence.

Mr Beldrum smirked widely and wasted not another moment before waving her inside.

Camille didn’t look back as she entered the hotel room, knowing that when she left once more, Bevans would soon join her again. Instead she focused on pushing down the feelings of hopelessness. As she turned back to Mr Beldrum, through the crack of the door she met Bevans’ eyes.

He smiled.

 

 

…

 

 

_Present Day_

_  
_ “I wouldn’t expect it to be too high.”

Alec laughed softly but Magnus knew it to be fake. From the way Alec watched him, as though he might disappear any moment, it was clear that Alec was not in the mood for jokes.

“Whatever it is, we’ll find the money to pay it”, Magnus insisted, reaching across the table. Suddenly, he remembered what he had been warned and drew his hand back, resting his palm against the cool metal of the table.

“It’s not that easy”, Alec sighed, looking up at Magnus with eyes that could only be described as pleading.

Magnus had to look away before the sadness overwhelmed him. Remembering just hours prior, how they had remained blissfully unaware of their impending heartbreak, Magnus sighed.

“Do you ever wonder if one day we’ll actually be allowed to be happy?”

Alec laughed humourlessly. “Yeah”, he agreed sadly. “Trust me, I asked Izzy the same thing.”

After a moment of silence, Alec raised his head to watch Magnus; he was clearly stressed out, perhaps more so than Alec. Although, that was understandable considering Alec wasn’t the one in jail. The same jail of the person he had supposedly killed.

“Magnus”, Alec finally said. Magnus immediately looked up at Alec and smiled, although it was far from real. “What _do_ you know about what Camille said? About the people after you?”

Magnus sighed, shifting in his seat to face Alec head on. “I don’t know anything about it Alec. If I did I would be squealing like a pig right now if it got me out of here.”

Alec sighed. “It’s just… she tells Raphael all this stuff about mob bosses and shit and then suddenly she dies. That, and she says there are people after you and conveniently a few hours later you’re arrested for her murder. That’s _not_ a coincidence.”

“I know”, Magnus agreed, nodding. “But what do you want me to say, Alec? I have no idea what she was talking about. I never knew my family, how do you expect me to know what ties they have to some Italian mob boss?”

“Never said he was Italian”, Alec mumbled, something that tore a laugh from Magnus- an actual one.

After a moment or two, Magnus leaned forward a little in his chair to talk. “Look, I know you want to focus on the bail money right now but I’m asking you to please look into what Camille said. You’re right and this is probably a set up so I really need you to find out who the fuck did this.” At Alec’s immediate attempts to protest, Magnus shook his head. “Please”, he added, just for good measure.

Alec looked at Magnus for a moment and contemplated what that would mean; first a foremost it would mean virtually abandoning Magnus behind bars, which was something Alec would never ever do. That, and it also meant somehow finding out information from a dead source.

When Alec saw the look of trust in Magnus’ eyes however, it became apparent to him that Magnus was asking of Alec more than just information. He was trusting Alec to help him, to choose his long term wellbeing over his discomfort of being behind bars. He was trusting Alec with his entire future.

Slowly and albeit rather reluctantly, Alec nodded. “I’ll find out whatever I can”, he promised.

That being said, Alec wasn’t just going to abandon Magnus. Which left him with only one option to get the money he would inevitably need for his bail.

 

 

…

 

 

_5 years ago_

 

Of all of her customers, Mr Bane was arguably the one she saw least frequently, and for far more innocent reasons. If what Mr Bane did could ever be perceived as innocent.

He was a tall man, reasonably well built albeit a little on the skinny side. He had deep brown skin and thick black hair that did well to hide his Asian descent. How he managed to see through it, Camille would never know.

Although she was far from familiar with Mr Bane, she was all too familiar with the clicking of footsteps as her boss entered the room, Bevans – as always – no more than a few paces behind.

“Welcome, Mr Bane”, her boss greeted joyfully. “It has been far too long my friend.”

Mr Bane straightened up but looked somewhat frightened. “Are we still to be considered friends?”

“Why of course!” Camille’s boss cried dramatically. “It was only a little bit of fun.”

Mr Bane nodded, lips curled into a twisted smile. “It was such fun to watch my wife bleed to death, yes”, he spat sarcastically.

He blinked in surprise, obviously not having expected Mr Bane to show such courage in broaching the admittedly tender subject. “Well, it’s hardly the worst I’ve done to you”, he joked dryly.

Mr Bane scoffed, raising his head to meet the man’s eyes. There was something akin to a challenge in them. “Taking my family from me is very different to killing them, don’t you think?”

“If you’re going to be so ungrateful”, He laughed, “then perhaps I’ll make a point of killing what’s left of your family. Although how can they be family when you haven’t seen them in, oh I don’t know, 20 years?”

Camille straightened up immediately when her boss turned to her, holding her breath.

“How old are you dear? Aren’t you the same age as dear ol’ Magnus?”

Camille stiffened at his name, as she always did. She did, however, conceal it well and showed her boss the only poker face she had ever managed to perfect; one of indifference.

Mr Bane perked up at his son’s name, only to wither slightly under Camille’s warning gaze. “You said you would leave my family out of our business”, Mr Bane said powerlessly.

“Yes I did”, the boss agreed. “That being said, you went back on our deal and stopped making me money. Therefore, with a deal newly broken, I was well within my rights to take action.” There was something in his voice that sounded exceptionally mocking. “You’ll have to forgive me Asmodeus, for I get a little tetchy when people break up with me.”

Asmodeus restrained himself from saying anything more, knowing that, to some extent, the man opposite him had a point. He had broken a deal, that arguably he shouldn’t have entered into, and now he had to pay the consequences.

“What will you do to my child?” Asmodeus finally brought himself to ask.

His boss grinned from ear to ear. “Why, nothing! Not if there is a new deal in place, and you stop trying to take back what you gave me.”

“But it is mine”, Mr Bane challenged with his last ounce of hope. “Perhaps you should consider it my blackmail against you. You have my son, I have that.”

Camille winced slightly, knowing the Asmodeus’ confidence would only come back to bite him. Still she watched attentively as her boss approached Mr Bane with a coy grin.

“It would seem we are at a stalemate my friend”, he said cheerfully. “If I were you, I wouldn’t try to keep what is rightfully mine away from me, lest I take it out on poor old Magnus. Where is it that he lives now?” he asked Camille rhetorically, for he already knew the answer far too well.

Mr Bane grit his teeth. “Fine”, he mumbled. “You have a deal.”

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. And He's Always Gone Too Long

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus finds out more about the case against him, which presents him and the group with a whole new problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the positive feedback on the last chapter guys, let me know what you think of this one. I'm gonna be honest with you guys, I hate this chapter XD ... But don't worry because the next one is longer and a lot more fleshed out. As of right now, we're just setting the tone for the sequel; it'll pick up, dont worry.
> 
> CHAPTER WARNING: Mentions of past rape

Chapter 2

He watched Alec get led away by the police officer, glancing back repeatedly and seeming somewhat soothed by Magnus’s soft smile.

Magnus was actually pretty proud of himself. He had somehow managed to convince Alec that everything would be fine when, truth be told, Magnus was shitting himself. Not literally, because he was wearing designer jeans _thank you very much_ , but he sure as hell knew the racing of his heart and the feeling of dread settling deep in his stomach was far from normal.

The room he was in was completely silent, save for the noise of the heavy breathing of the police officer standing watch at the door. He was of impressive build, although Magnus couldn’t help but think that Alec probably had better abs. He grinned uncontrollably.

“What’re you laughing at, Bane?” the police office spat when he noticed Magnus’s smile.

Magnus had to force himself not to role his eyes. “Nothing, officer.”

The officer straightened up slightly; Magnus had clearly ruffled his feathers. “You bein’ a smartass?” he demanded.

“No”, Magnus said politely. “I wasn’t smiling at you. Perhaps I was pleased to see my boyfriend.”

The police officer nodded but his lips were still curled into a grimace. “That’s what I thought”, he finally said, leaning back against the wall and fiddling with his holster. Magnus refused to acknowledge the movement, unsure whether it was a silent threat or not.

Magnus was thrown from his train of thought by the door opening once more, Officer Pack stepping in. Now him… Magnus was familiar with.

“Did I ever tell you”, Magnus began, smiling coyly. “That your name is actually Estonian for ‘shit’.”

Pack looked unimpressed and simply raised an eyebrow. “For someone in your situation Magnus, you’re far too comfortable right now.”

Magnus shrugged, leaning back as far as his chained hands would allow. “What have I got to lose, huh? I either sit and wallow or I attempt to make light of the situation.”

“Why make light of it?” Officer Pack asked gently, settling into the seat opposite Magnus that Alec had just occupied.

Magnus nodded. “Why not? You and I both know that whatever evidence you have against me, it’s pretty solid, otherwise you never would have arrested me. Well… your colleague over there wouldn’t have”, Magnus nodded to the other officer, who sneered. “At the end of the day, Pack, me complaining and kissing your ass isn’t going to stop whoever is doing this.”

Pack nodded slowly, thinking. After a moment or two, he turned to his colleague and indicated towards the door. Despite his obvious reluctance, the officer complied and Magnus was left alone with Officer Pack.

“Explain to me what you think you know, Mr Bane.”

“Mr Bane?” Magnus scoffed, “C’mon, we know each other better than that. Call me Magnus.”

Officer Pack’s lips curled at Magnus’s teasing and he shook his head fondly. “Fine. Magnus, tell me what you think you know.”

Magnus winced slightly. “It’s admittedly not much, but before she was killed Camille was visited by my friend  Ra-” Magnus quickly refrained from saying his name, “- he said that she warned him that someone was after me because of my family, my father. Next thing I know she’s dead.”

Officer Pack sighed deeply. “Hearsay isn’t enough to get you off, Magnus”, he warned. “They have evidence. Strong evidence.”

“Which I still, conveniently, haven’t been shown. How do I even know you have any evidence? Maybe you’re lying to make me confess.” At Pack’s eyebrow raise Magnus grinned. “Don’t think I haven’t watched those crappy daytime cop shows. I have, and I know all the tricks.”

Pack took a deep breath, dragging his palm across his face in exasperation. “It’s not evidence I can put in front of you Magnus. They had fingerprint evidence, a threatening letter and-”, Pack seemed to cut himself off.

“And what?”

Magnus watched as Officer Pack’s face twisted in disgust and felt himself swallow nervously; whatever the “evidence” was, it wasn’t good.

“Seriously”, Magnus said firmly. “Graham, tell me what evidence they found.”

Graham stiffened at the use of his name, looking down at his fingers. “Y’know for a cop I’m no good at delivering bad news.”

Magnus scoffed, “Y’think?”

Graham smirked slightly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. When he looked up at Magnus however, there was determination in them. “A rape kit came back positive, Magnus.”

Magnus froze.

All of a sudden, his entire body began to thrash and the wail he let out was ear-piercing. “What the fuck!!” he screamed, recoiling in horror.

Graham immediately reached across the table and grabbed Magnus’ hands to calm him and had he not been chained, Magnus would have surely brushed his comforting touch off.

Magnus had never felt his blood boil in such a way and he grit his teeth in disgust.

“I know”, Graham sighed. “I know.”

“I didn’t- I didn’t- I would never- You know I wouldn’t-”

“-I know”, Officer Pack repeated, squeezing Magnus’ clenched fist. “I know you wouldn’t. But it’s my job to investigate why the hell the test came back positive. I’m sorry.”

Magnus shook his head fiercely. “Don’t apologise”, he growled, the taste of the words on his tongue almost causing him to vomit. “Is it- how do they know it was me?”

“They don’t, yet. Listen Magnus, I’ve been put as head officer on this case. As of right now, the precinct doesn’t know of my connections to you and I want to keep it that way. I’ve got another officer working with me and besides me, he’s the only one I want you talking to. He’s the only one I can trust to at least try to prove you innocent”, Officer Pack said, face hard and serious.

Magnus nodded slowly, the earlier dread he felt settled even deeper into his bones. “Who is he?”

Graham let go of Magnus’ hands and leant back into his chair. “His name is Luke, and he’s the only other officer you can trust.”

 

 

…

 

 

“You can’t be serious? You let him talk you into that? Wow. You must seriously be delusional Lightwood, if you think that I’m gonna waste my time hunting down some bullshit mob boss rather than get my brother out of fucking jail.”

Raphael’s words were like knives, piercing the protective shield Alec had put up since exiting the station, the gang trailing behind him.

He stopped in his tracks at Raphael’s words, facing him head on in the middle of the precincts parking lot. “You think I want to leave him in there? Like he said, no amount of cash or expensive lawyers is going to stop these guys.”

Raphael stepped forward menacingly, his eyes darkening. “We don’t even know there are any “guys”, Alec! For all we know that bitch was completely making the story up. Hell, I’d bet my left hand she was!”

Alec refused to step down, used to Raphael’s explosive attitude. “You can’t tell me that her death isn’t incredibly well timed, Raph! You and I both know that someone is framing him.”

“Oh I don’t doubt that”, Raphael agreed, “because doubting that means doubting Magnus. But I’m not just going to jump head first into some dead end search for some made up boss leader with a vendetta.”

At that point, sensing the tension, Isabelle stepped forward. “Maybe Raphael is right, Alec”, she said tentatively. “Maybe getting Magnus out of bail is our best option.”

Alec scoffed. “Chances are, he wont even get bail. He’s being accused of murder guys, this isn’t some minor felony.”

Catarina perked up this time, stepping in between the boys to act as the peacekeeper. “Alec has a point. If it’s first he’s being charged with, bail is unlikely.”

“Almost impossible”, Clary sighed sadly from behind Alec.

Alec nodded his understanding. Turning back to Raphael, he saw the realization dawning in his face and felt somewhat guilty. Had it not been for Officer Pack informing him of Magnus’ unlikely bail as he was being escorted back to the waiting room, Alec himself would have forgotten the seriousness of the crime Magnus was being charged with.

“They don’t just arrest people for murder without proof, Raph.”

Raphael met his best friend’s eyes, the unshed tears in them going completely ignored by those around them. “I know”, Raphael exhaled. “But surely they can’t have solid evidence. Maybe it’s just a hair or something.”

Alec shook his head. “Officer Pack told me they had three pieces of evidence, including a threatening letter supposedly written by Magnus to Camille. She received it the night before she was killed.”

Izzy gaped at Alec’s words. “A letter? Is that it? That could easily be faked.”

“That’s not it”, Alec sighed. “He didn’t tell me what else they found but he said it was bad, and it was more than enough to convict him.”

Alec noticed out of the corner of his eye, a dark-skinned man of solid build approaching the building, head held high and back rigid. He spared their group a passing glance and even an eyebrow raise before continuing on his path.

“Shit”, Jace piped up for the first time, gripping Alec’s bicep tightly, comfortingly. “We’re screwed then.”

“If he gets life, we are”, Ragnor added.

“Or worse”, Raphael hissed. “With enough evidence, he may even get the death penalty.”

Alec closed his eyes tightly, forcing the image of Magnus being on death row from his mind; it was too dark of a place to tread.

“Luke! Wait up!”

Everyone’s heads turned simultaneously as Clary shot off, sprinting towards the dark man who now was just entering the station. He seemed startled by Clary’s cry and Alec couldn’t really blame him; her voice was incredibly irritating.

Simon was the only one in their group that immediately reacted, following Clary with an equally loud shout of the poor man’s name. The man who was, presumably, “Luke” turned to face the approaching pair, stepping away from the door.

Alec felt his eyes widen when he greeted Clary with a hug and before he knew it, Jace and Raphael had left his side to approach the scene. Alec quickly followed.

As Luke pulled away from the hug Simon had no doubt forced upon him, he turned to Raphael and Jace with respectful nods. Jace seemed to receive an even more genuine smile. “Raphael, Jace, nice to see you two again.”

Jace seemed somewhat unsure how to proceed but he simply returned the smile nervously. Alec refrained from laughing at the fact that Jace was _nervous._

“What are you doing here kiddo?” Luke asked, turning to Clary.

At this point the rest of the group had caught up and Izzy immediately came to Clary’s side, an action that received an eyebrow raise from Luke. Clary looked between her girlfriend at her… whoever he was, bashfully.

“We’re here for a friend. Alec’s boyfriend”, she said, nodding across at Alec.

Luke immediately turned to Alec and bowed his head slowly. “Got a bit of a rebel-streak, does he?”

In any other situation, perhaps Alec would have laughed, maybe even blushed nervously under the large man’s knowing gaze. Presumably Luke dealt with similar situations just about every day; love struck idiots bailing out their crime addicted partners. This wasn’t so simple, however.

“No”, Alec eventually settled on.

Luke raised a brow at that, unconvinced, but he nodded nevertheless. “What’d he do?”

“The better question is what didn’t he do?” Catarina joked from beside Alec, but her voice lacked amusement. “In this case the answer is ‘murder’.”

“Well then”, Luke sighed. “He’s in there for murder?”

“Yes”, Clary piped up. “But he didn’t do it. Actually, I wanted to know if you knew anything about it? Or could help us out?”

“What’s his name?”

“Magnus”, Raphael said instantly. “Magnus Bane.”

Luke straightened up at the name and immediately Alec knew he was familiar with it. He stepped forward without hesitation, arguably into Luke’s personal space. “You know something”, he demanded somewhat rudely. “Are you on his case?”

Luke didn’t seem at all offended by Alec’s assertiveness and simply matched it when he responded. “I’m on his case”, he confirmed. “Just got called in by Graham to deal with the case; he’s convinced the kids innocent too.”

“Who’s Graham?”

“The man on the case”, Luke said, speaking patiently despite Alec’s brash tone.

Alec thought for a moment. “Officer Pack?”

Luke nodded, eyes darting between their large group.

“He thinks Magnus is innocent?” Simon asked tentatively from his place beside Raphael, an arm tightly wound around his boyfriend’s waist. Alec ignored the surge of envy in his bones at the sight of Raphael seeking comfort in the man he loved; Alec kind of wanted that himself right now.

“Sure does”, Luke confirmed. “I haven’t had a chance to see him yet though, so I don’t know much.”

Izzy stepped forward slightly and Luke’s eyes seemed to dart to where she gripped Clarissa’s hand.

“Do you know what his bail is?”

Luke met Izzy’s eyes and for a moment he seemed to think, but then he shook his head with a short laugh that Alec recognised as fake. “He’s not getting a bail, not with the charges against him.”

Alec felt something in him, perhaps the last speck of hope still in his chest, fizz out and leave in its wake an empty sense of despair. The hole in which the hope once sat, now grew fear and unadulterated doubt. “What’s he being charged with?”

Luke looked deep into Alec’s eyes and there was something in them that Alec identified as sympathy. Whatever it was that Luke was going to say, would clearly hurt Alec the most. Alec wasn’t sure whether it was because Luke feared the charges to be true and felt sympathy for Alec loving a monster, or whether he just felt genuine pity for the boy whose lover had been unfairly charged.

Alec really hoped it was the latter.

“He’s been charged with first degree murder”, Luke began, to which Alec felt his head drop. “And rape.”

Immediately Alec’s head snapped back up like a string had jerked his back straight. His eyes widened as he met Luke’s gaze once more.

“He- I…. WHAT?”

Luke nodded solemnly. “The only way they could make it worse for him is if they caught something on camera but apparently those were cut. All I know from Graham’s text was that they’re charging some Magnus kid with murder and rape. He said they had proof for pretty much all of it.”

The faces of the group around him must have been a picture, for the silence grew amongst them as all of them digested the information.

“How- I don’t-”, Raphael stuttered uncontrollably. “How do they have proof for the- the rape?”

Alec winced uncontrollably at the words and didn’t miss the way Jace’s hand slipped into his. Alec felt nothing by gratitude for his brother, squeezing his hand as tightly as he could, pleased when Jace only took it in stride and returned the comforting gesture.

“I don’t know”, Luke said. “I’m heading in now to get a briefing from Graham but I’ll be sure to keep Clary posted. Presumably, the only way they could have ‘proof’ for that is if they found something in the rape kit.”

“Rape kit?” Clary stuttered pathetically.

Luke nodded. “Something obviously tipped them off, maybe marks or ripped clothes, but they must have run a rape test. I don’t know if they have proof Magnus committed the rape but I know they have proof she _was_ raped.”

At that point, it all seemed to hit Alec all at once. Uncontrollable images flashed before his eyes; Magnus behind bars, Magnus on death row, Magnus killing Camille, Camille’s hands all over his body, Magnus’s hands all over Camille. Magnus. Magnus. Magnus. Magnus.

“Shit”, Jace gasped as he felt Alec’s grip on his hand loosen, all too familiar with the sinking feeling in his chest. He looked across to his brother and found him crumbling, his knees buckling from under him.

Almost immediately, Jace’s arms were around Alec and before he knew it Raphael was grasping Alec from the other side. Jace spared a thought for Raphael’s quick reflexes before turning to his brother, whose entire face had gone stark white and who’s eyes were wide and hollow.

“Alec!” Izzy called, tearing herself from Clary and quickly grabbing Alec’s face. She slapped his cheeks softly, tipping his limp head to face her. “C’mon, big brother”, she said frantically, heartbroken. “Wake up, come on.”

Alec’s eyes were completely unseeing and at that, Izzy sighed, her head falling.

Jace, familiar with her look of defeat, and with the help of Raphael, straightened Alec out and quickly hooked an arm under his legs.

Izzy took a step back, her eyes wet and her lip quivering as she watched Jace haul Alec into his arms, Raphael frantically helping the blond hold Alec, eyes alight with worry for his best friend.

“Oh my god”, Catarina whispered brokenly, to which Izzy turned to her. “Is he gonna be okay?”

Izzy closed her eyes and took a deep, unsteady breath. “He hasn’t passed out like that for months.”

Catarina raised an eyebrow, obviously confused.

“Alec has anxiety”, Izzy relented, watching as Raphael and Jace turned towards the car, Simon trailing behind them, equally as alarmed. “Bad anxiety”, she admitted. “He’s been good for months now but he used to have pretty bad attacks, sometimes he’d pass out in high school if the stress got too much. Truth be told I was waiting for him to have an attack after what happened with Camille but…”

“It was only a matter of time before it caught up with him”, Clary sighed. She herself had only ever witnessed one of Alec’s attacks and that had truly shaken her to her core.

Ragnor, Catarina and even Luke seemed startled by Izzy’s words.

“We didn’t know”, Ragnor admitted. “We didn’t have a clue.”

“As I said”, Izzy said softly. “He’s been so much better lately. He’s on meds that actually work for him and he’s generally been happier. He’s been fine but… anxiety doesn’t really cause fainting, if it does then its extremely rare, so it’s probably just him feeling overwhelmed”, she promised.

Catarina seemed baffled. “Does Magnus know?”

“Not a clue”, Izzy admitted. “Probably not. It hasn’t been a problem since long before he and Alec met.”

Catarina nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “I’ve never seen him… y’know, take anything?”

“Maybe he hasn’t been taking them”, Ragnor supplied, looking at Izzy cautiously.

Izzy shrugged. “Look, I don’t know. I really gotta go.”

And with that Izzy headed after her brothers, Clary eager to follow.

“I’ll see you at home”, Clary shouted back at Luke as she frantically followed behind Izzy. Luke looked confused but nodded, waving his hand once before quickly turning and heading inside the station.

Catarina and Ragnor exchanged a look.

“Could today _get_ any worse?”

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

“Y’know, I can’t help but notice that two of those kids seem far more involved than the others”, he observed quietly, thoughtfully, as he leant back in his chair.

His colleague nodded in agreement. “Agreed”, he said. “Even of the two of them, you know which one seems most…. explosive, shall we say?”

The man chuckled deeply. “Oh yeah”, he said. “I assume you mean the one who can barely stand on his own two feet?” He nodded towards the computer screen in front of him.

Both men looked up when the door opened, and watched with interest as the dark officer from their computer screen sauntered into the precinct with unchallengeable confidence.

Luke caught their eye as he passed them. “Gentlemen”, he greeted kindly with a nod, albeit his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Both men nodded in return, watching him turn down the hall and leave before turning back to their screen.

“Make sure to get the number plate”, one hissed quietly, selecting the camera focused rather helpfully on the car the group had moved towards.

“Will do”, the other said, scribbling away at paper. “You can be the one to call Boss tonight and update him.”

The burlier of the two spun to face his colleague with panic. “No way, man”, he growled. “I can barely understand what he says.”

“Of course you can understand what he says”, the other laughed, straightening out his jacket as he watched with close eyes as the car sped out of the camera’s view. “You’re just a little bitch; too afraid to confront the guy.”

He scoffed. “I’m not afraid”, he insisted, flexing his arms as though his sheer size might defy all possibility of fear. “But fine”, he huffed, “I’ll be the one to drop the call.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think? Let me know down below!
> 
> (I should be uploading the next chapter, or a sneak peek to my tumblr, in the next few days! Keep your eyes peeled!)


	3. Anytime He Goes Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and the group attempt to get an idea of what to do and how to help Magnus. Perhaps someone else has the answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys... I feel like this is one of those addicts meetings where we all talk about our mistakes. Well, mine is that I'm a terrible person who totally abandoned this fic and forget to upload it. I am SOO sorry guys! I really hope I haven't deterred any of you loyal readers because of it but I've been so buys with school; my entire career plan changed, I dropped a subject, started a new one later in the year meaning I had to catch up, and have a ton of responsibility because I just became elected as a head of my year. It's been stressful and I put this on the back bench and I'm sorry but now that everything is calming down and I'm on my summer holidays, I have the time to update! AHHH. 
> 
> So, for those of you who haven't read this since I last updated, I would suggest you go back and reread the first two chapters. When you're back (welcome back!) then we can start here!
> 
> Okay, so as always I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know in the comments below what you thought, and what you want to happen. I know where I'm going with this fic but any specific requests are welcomed. 
> 
> WARNINGS: None, my lovelies <3

“This is ridiculous”, Alec complained, pushing aside the hands grappling at his jacket. “I can stand on my own. Jesus Christ.”

Izzy seemed frustrated and stood to join him as he ventured towards the kitchen.

“You might be able to but that doesn’t mean you should”, she insisted, hooking her arm through his. To anyone else it may have looked as though she were relying on him for support, but Alec knew the move to be protective, one intended to provide him with a steady body to lean against.

He didn’t need it.

“I’m fine”, he said once more.

Izzy rolled her eyes. “You keep saying that. You said that after Camille did what she did, you said that after she was arrested, you said that after Magnus was arrested…. Now you’re saying it after you _passed out,_ Alec.”

Alec pulled his arm from hers as he entered the kitchen, immediately moving towards the refrigerator to grab a drink. Izzy watched with mirth as he pulled a beer from the depths of the fridge, opening it with his bare hands and settling back against the kitchen counter to fix her with a condescending glare.

“Why do you all insist on looking after me? I’m the older brother.”

“So?”

Alec sighed deeply. “So, you’re supposed to be the one who needs looking after. Seriously Iz, I’m fine.”

Izzy took a moment to move across the room, leaning against the counter opposite her brother. “Then explain to me why you passed out?”

Alec bit his lip. “I don’t know!” he insisted. “Anxiety? I don’t know.”

“Alec”, Izzy sighed. “You and I both know your anxiety does not cause you to pass out. So, what’s going on? Through everything else you’ve been fine, you’ve been able to handle it. Now you’re _passing out?”_

“I’m getting really tired of you reminding me of it, Iz” Alec said, growing more and more frustrated by the minute.

He loved his little sister a great deal, and normally he even found himself appreciating her protective streak despite its hindrances. Today however, he really wasn’t in the mood for her motherly love.

Izzy seemed to sense his thinning patience and quickly moved to snatch his drink from him. Before Alec could grow angry, Izzy had taken a sip and handed it back, settling into his side to hug him.

“Back in High school... the passing out- It only happened when you weren't eating.” Izzy pulled away quickly, glaring up at her big brother. “Are you eating?!”

Alec groaned, rolling his eyes slightly. “Yes, Iz. I'm eating.”

“Are you sure?” she demanded. “Because I swear Alec, if we have to go through senior year again I will kill-”

“-Izzy!” Alec interrupted, now even more annoyed. He took a deep, steadying breath before he spoke again. “Please. I'm fine.”

There was a moment or two of silence that seemed to stretch between them.

“Just… please talk to me when or if you need it, okay?”

Alec immediately felt that pesky feeling overwhelm him and he hugged his little sister into his side. “I promise.”

Izzy seemed pleased with his response and snuggled further into him, resting her head on his shoulder with a content sigh.

“You have to talk to me too though”, Alec said firmly.

Izzy pulled away slightly to look at her brother with a raised eyebrow. “What do I have to share with you?” she laughed lightly.

“What’s happening with you and Clary?”

Izzy beamed and Alec felt himself smile at the look in her eyes. “We’re great”, Izzy promised. “We’ve agreed to be together, but to take it slow and not force anything between us. Or _on_ anyone, y’know?”

Alec thought back to Jace and nodded, his smile slipping slightly. “I’m sure he appreciates that”, he said softly. Despite the fact that Jace insisted he was completely supportive of their relationship, Alec knew him better than anyone and knew that deep down Jace was still licking his wounds.

Much like Alec lately.

Although every time a wound of Alec’s healed, another seemed to show up in its place.

“Come on losers!” Jace’s voice pierced through the silence surrounding them.

Alec laughed softly as he removed his arm from around Izzy, who groaned and quickly headed to the main room where they had left Jace, Clary, Simon and Raphael.

Alec took a moment to catch his breath, unsure what the feeling in his stomach truly was. What Alec was feeling lately was simply a strange mixture of emotions, none of which he could decipher despite his best efforts.

Admittedly, Alec couldn’t help but be grateful for the distraction from what had happened to him. Unfortunately, that distraction had to come from Magnus’ arrest, but despite the guilt he felt at thinking it, he was somewhat thankful that something had taken his mind off of Camille assaulting him and the trouble he had with his parents. Not that Alec was at all glad that Magnus was locked up, accused of a crime he would never dream of committing.

“Alec, come on!”

Alec quickly straightened up, brushing aside his confusing thoughts, and headed to join the others.

 

…

 

The look Raphael was giving him made Alec somewhat nervous. The boy was obviously looking to Alec for approval, but how was Alec supposed to know how to handle this stuff?!

“That was my original plan, y’know.”

“What was?” Jace enquired from where he was sat beside Clary, flicking through her phone. Luke had sent Clary an update and one by one they had passed it around the room to read.

Alec took a breath, shaking slightly. “Before Officer Pack told me about the bail being virtually impossible, I was going to go to mom and dad for the money.”

Izzy looked startled and immediately jumped from her seat to protest.

“Obviously now I can’t”, Alec said, raising a hand to stop her before she could start. “But it’s not a bad idea Raphael.”

“Is that what you’re suggesting, Raphael?” Clary asked softly as she took her phone back from Jace. “Go to Maryse and Robert?”

Raphael shrugged. “We all know they’re loaded, and they probably have connections. Right?”

Jace nodded enthusiastically. “Oh they do, definitely!”

“We’re not going to them”, Izzy insisted. “Not after how they treated Alec when we went to see them the other week. No way.”

“Also”, Simon added from where he sat beside Raphael. “I don’t know if they’d help when they figured out it was Alec’s _boyfriend_ that needed helping.”

Everyone went silent for a moment, exchanging looks. Eventually Alec snorted a laugh.

“I can’t believe I’m gonna say this but…. Simon has a point.”

 

 

…

 

 

One of the weirdest things about Magnus being behind bars was that after the first day, everything had to go back to normal. Izzy and Catarina had to head back to work and explain to their students that Magnus was “on vacation” and wouldn’t be teaching them any time soon. Clary had headed back home and although Simon stayed at Alec and Raphael’s, he was still by her side most of the time. Izzy was back to staying either at her own place or at Clary’s. Jace was still sleeping on their sofa but his search for a job continued without too much interruption.

Two days after Magnus was arrested, Alec and Raphael had to return to work.

It was weird.

“Do you think Sasha will be there?” Alec asked quietly as he and Raphael paused outside the bar doors.

Raphael looked incredibly uninterested in Alec’s worrying and simply pushed against the door. When he swung open, Raphael shrugged. “That’s a yes.”

Alec sighed, following Raphael into work, admittedly looking around every corner for Sasha.

Alec was somewhat sad to admit that he was waiting for Sasha to attack him, either verbally or physically. While Sasha knew what Camille had tried to do, it was still her cousin and as of right now, Alec’s boyfriend was still the main culprit for her murder.

When Alec finally did catch sight of Sasha however, she was simply wiping down the bar, humming alone to the radio just behind her. Her body went a little rigid, a sure sign she knew they were there, but she continued uninterrupted.

“Hey, Sash”, Alec greeted nervously.

Sasha looked up slowly and for a moment Alec's heart stopped.... but then she smiled.

“Hey guys. Next time, don’t leave me to deal with this place for two days on my own, okay?”

Alec and Raphael exchanged looks. Raphael looked at Alec somewhat accusingly.

“What?”

“What do you mean, what? I wasn’t supposed to work yesterday. Did you call in?” Raphael looked more than a little bored with the conversation but he seemed to be finding an ounce of humour in Alec’s bad luck.

Alec raised an eyebrow, confused. Then it hit him.

“Oh my God, Sasha! I’m so sorry!”

Sasha laughed slightly, shaking her head. “Don’t worry about it Alec. I assume you were… busy?”

Alec noticed the tension in her shoulders as she spoke.

Alec wasn’t stupid and he knew that Camille’s family, if she even had any, would have been contacted about what happened whether the news was out or not. Sasha was Camille’s family, after all.

“Yeah”, Alec sighed. “Pretty busy.”

Sasha took the opportunity to look up as she threw away the cloth she had been wiping the bar down with. She took a deep breath before settling her hands on the bar top and fixing Alec with a firm look.

“I know he didn’t kill her, Alec. You can relax.”

Alec froze for a moment and he could even see the surprise of Raphael’s face from where he now was, behind the bar with Sasha.

“Wait, what?”

Sasha nodded vehemently. “I know that she was involved in some dodgy stuff Alec, and when the officer showed up to tell us he said from the get go that it was likely there was more involved. I’m not stupid; I can put two and two together.”

Alec tried to force himself to stop gaping to throw Raphael a look. Raphael looked as uninterested as ever until Alec caught his eye; then he perked up.

“Sasha”, Raphael said softly, moving to join her side. Alec also moved a little closer. “Do you know anything about the people she was involved with?”

“You said she was doing dodgy stuff? Do you know what?” Alec added, joining them at the bar and gently resting his hand on Sasha’s.

Sasha shook her head but she looked apologetic. “Sorry, I really don’t know what it was she was doing. All I know is that she was involved with some guy who made her do all kinds of things. I think she owed him for something. That’s why she was always jumping from town to town; she was trying to outrun him I think.”

Alec nodded thoughtfully. “Did you ever meet the guy?”

“No way”, Sasha whistled. “Despite everything, Camille did care about family. She made sure I never got involved.”

“What about when she was arrested? She wouldn’t have had time to grab her stuff from the staff room, right?” Raphael asked, his eagerness a little intimidating. “Did you take her stuff home?”

Sasha nodded although she looked confused. “At first I forgot”, she admitted. “I noticed her coat and bag there the day after and took them home with me. The police never asked for them, so I still have them... d-do you need them?”

Alec stopped for a moment and sent Raphael a look that told him to do the same. This was still a human being, not just a source for information, and from the shaking of her voice Alec could tell she was getting a little upset.

“If you are okay with us seeing her phone or something… we’d appreciate it.”

Sasha took an unsteady breath but eventually she nodded. “You can come back to mine tomorrow and see it.”

“Okay”, Alec sighed. He quickly leant across the bar to drop a kiss to Sasha’s head. “Thank you, Sash.”

Sasha smiled ruefully. “No problem, big guy”, she teased affectionately.

 

 

…

 

 

Alec glared down at the phone as though it had personally offended him. It was a weight in his hands, like lead, pulling his hand down as though my an invicible just to prevent him from lifting a figure to dial. Alec couldn't help but be thankful for the sinking sensation in his stomach, for any of reaction wouldn't have grounded him the way his nerves did.

Calling his parents, asking them for _help..._ Alec just couldn't do it. For Magnus he would do anything, but this-

It was impossible.

Or at least he felt like it was.

With new found contact between Luke and even Officer Pack, Alec wasn't ashamed to admit that everything was becoming a little easier to handle. Knowing Magnus was stuck in jail until his trial was set but that he had someone on his side, somelike like Graham, made Alec a lot more confident in their case. In Magnus' case.

He hadn't yet visited Magnus that week, instead confeirng with the others about what to do in regards to the people after his boyfriend. Currently they were all at a stand still, with their greatest source of information dead.

In the last week, it seemed that the discussion of what to do had led to everyone welcoming themselves into Magnus and Cat's loft. The two spare rooms quickly became occupied with Izzy and Clary and Simon and Raphael respectively, with Jace alternating between the couch and Magnus and Alec's bed depending on the night; if Alec was feeling particularly welcoming, he would stay with him. And if Alec wanted to be alone, he also stayed with him. No one knew Alec better than Jace, except maybe Raphael, and both men had agreed that despite his protests Alec needed someone.

If anyone asked, Alec did not snuggle up to Jace every night, his nightmares driving towards his comforting embrace. No way.

The downside to their newfound recedency, besides Catarina's complaining, was the ever-waning novalty of it. It soon become dull, with everyone running around and taking each others space. Alec felt almost bad for feeling incredibly clostraphobic when surrounded by everyone.

Which is what had led him to taking a walk through the dark and damp streets. Admittedly, walking around late a night, with clouds looming over him after a small and unexpected shower of rain wasn't his best idea, especially considering his lack of a coat. But Alec felt a growing desire to be outside, to taste fresh air rather than the stale air of the overcrowded loft.

The streets, as dark as Alec himself felt, were also surprisingly welcoming. Save the occassional drunkard wanting company, Alec had been left alone to walk the streets, his focus often wavering and his mind wandering; it was peaceful. Nice.

It was the first time Alec had felt at peace since Magnus had been arrested.

“Alexander Lightwood?” a light voice called, tearing Alec from his thoughts and startling him.

Alec spun on his feet, turning to face the intruder.

The man was significantly shorter than Alec, although was clearly well-built and no stranger to the gym. He was a stern looking man, his features sharp but also somehow delicate. He had long, shoulder length, stark black hair. Tangled in amongst the locks were beaded strands and to Alec's surprise, even a feather or two. His clothes seemed to match, clearly colour-coordinated to the hair accessories. Everything he wore was light fitting, hanging loose on his frame yet still doing a good job at accentuating his size.

Alec finally let his eyes meet that of the stranger, raising an eyebrow in curiosity as the man stepped closer, his face falling into a surpringsinly welcoming smile. He seemed harmless.

But that didn't mean he was.

Well aware of this, Alec let his hand clench into a fist, his eyes darting to watch the man carefully.

The man seemed almost flattered by Alec's cautiousness, as though surprised but pleasantly so at being seen as a threat.

“Who are you?” Alec finally asked, the silence disturbing.

The man grinned. “My name is Meliorn, and I think I know how to help you.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go, chapter 3! 
> 
> Again I'm sorry for the wait and I actually just want to say a huge thank you to anyway who stayed loyal to the fic and stuck around to read the update. To any new readers, HIII <3
> 
> Let me know what you thought guys, and follow me on tumblr (justmagnusbane) for updates on uploads and to ask any questions! XX


	4. Wonder This Time Where He's Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec starts to look deeper into what's going on with Camille's death, and the mysterious Meliorn, as well as Camille's phone, provide interesting leads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go... Chapter 4! ENJOY <3  
> This isn't beta-ed so any mistakes are all mine. 
> 
>  
> 
> WARNINGS: mentions of past rape

“How do you know Magnus?”

Meliorn shifted uncomfortably on the bench, turning slightly to face Alec. “I dont”, he said simply, his tone straightforward yet surprisingly soft. “I simply know _of_ him.”

“Of him?” Alec asked incredulously. “You make it sound like he's some legend or something”, he laughed nervously.

Meliorn raised an eyebrow at Alec in what he assumed was supposed to be amusement. “Not quite, although Mr Bane is rather infamous in my line of work.”

Alec looked across at the man beside him, a chill running down his spine as he settled back against the cold wood of the park bench. Their exchange couldn't have looked shadier if they tried, what with them sitting on a park bench in the early hours of the morning, but it merely reflected how Alexander felt. Meliorn didn't feel like a threat but he was a mystery to Alec, and his strange behaviour was intimidating, as well as his endless grace and calm.

“So, what is your line of work?” Alec asked, attempting to sound uninterested. From the way Meliorn's lips quirked slightly, Alec knew he had failed.

Meliorn sighed. “A bit of everything really.”

Alec frowned. “How vague”, he said slowly.

“Of course”, Meliorn smiled ruefully. “In my business you dont just go around shouting out what your business is.”

Alec sighed inwardly; he hated riddles and this man seemed particularly fond of them. “So, if you dont know Magnus and you refuse to tell me your line of work, how exactly are you supposed to help me?”

Meliorn looked mildly insulted by Alec's tone but as expected, remained eerily calm. “I used to work with Magnus Bane's father. I assure you, I have valuable information.”

Alec immediately sat up, leaning towards Meliorn slightly in a way that didn't come off as too childishly eager. “You know his father?”

“Asmodeous”, Meliorn sighed softly. “I worked directly under him for many years. I'm good at handling information”, he said simply.

Alec nodded thoughtfully, running the name over in his mind and attempting to place it. It sounded familiar, yet startlingly unique. “Do you know what's happening at the moment? With Magnus?”

“I am aware of his... predicament. Yes.”

Meliorn seemed particularly careful with his words in those moments and Alec sighed; more riddles. He was really starting to hate picking apart this guy's language.

“But can you help?” Alec demanded, growing impatient.

Meliorn finally turned to meet Alec's eyes, his own soft yet stern. “I can assist you in helping Magnus, yes. I know of whom you seek information on and as I said... I'm rather good at handling information.”

Alec frowned slightly, his eyes darting between Meliorn's eyes and his small smirk. “In return for what?”

“Let's just say that the people after Magnus aren't my biggest fans... Helping you will only disadvantage them so its... convenient for me.”

Alec paused. “Is- Is this going to be dangerous?”

Meliorn's smirk widened into a full-on grin, his sharp teeth flashing Alec. “With the people after him, this has been dangerous for a while.”

Alec shoved down the fear he felt brewing in his chest and simply nodded slowly. “Okay.”

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

“This all sounds very _The Godfather_ , Graham”, Magnus said dryly, slouching back into the metal chair he was in.

Pack frowned slightly. “Don't I know it, but if there really is someone after you then we have no choice but to start collecting contacts.”

Magnus smirked; there was a certain degree of humour to be found in his tricky situation, and with the plain walls of a jail cell quickly loosing their novelty and interest, he found himself basking in the moment. Officer Graham Pack, ever-loyal, had approached Magnus with information from none other than Alexander.

“What exactly did my dear old Alexander actually say?”

Graham sighed slightly, his hand scrambling to fish his phone from his pocket. He handed it carefully over to Magnus, aware of the ever-watching cameras of the police and the fact that Magnus's hands were very much chained to the table.

Magnus took the phone in hand and quickly began scrolling through the texts addressed to Graham from a contact under the name “A.Lightwood”. Magnus couldn't resist smiling at the name, disgustingly fond of that particular person.

 

_3:30AM_

_**Graham, I need you to look up a name for me. Its important.** _

_**Asmodeous Bane.** _

 

_6:48AM_

_**Why?** _

 

_7:10AM_

_**Please. I've found someone who might have some information. I've told Luke. I just need all the details you can get on him** _

 

_7:12AM_

_**You think he has something to do with Magnus?** _

 

_7:12AM_

_**Yes.** _

_**How is he?** _

 

_7:15AM_

_**He seems okay, maybe a little bored.** _

 

_7:16AM_

_**Of course.** _

_**Tell him I love him, and I'll see him soon.** _

 

_7:17AM_

_**Do you know when?** _

 

_7:23AM_

_**Maybe today. I dont know. I'll text Luke when I'm on my way over.** _

 

Magnus sighed, putting the phone down. He immediately began to fiddle with his fingers, hating the emptiness of his hand; since he was not allowed jewellery he had kindly asked Luke to deliver it to Alec. Magnus suspected, with a smile, that his boyfriend had no doubt taken to wearing some of it. He knew Alec had a bit of a thing for his jewellery, his rings in particular; constantly praising them and reminding Magnus of how 'hot' they made his hands look.

Magnus grinned at the memory before turning back to Pack. “Okay first of all, I think its adorable that you two text. How quaint. Second, when he comes over can we have a private room because I'm seriously missing my boyfriend's ass-”

“-Magnus”, Officer Pack sighed, rolling his eyes.

Magnus shrugged. “Finally, did you look up this guy? Get anything on him?”

Graham shook his head slightly. “Not yet, Luke's on it at the moment and he'll tell me later. But... you know that he's likely your father, right? Your biological father.”

“Obviously”, Magnus groaned, rubbing a hand over his worn and officially make-up free face, gritting his teeth at the feel of foundation-less skin under his hand. “Only a man with the name Asmodeous would be pretentious enough to name his child Magnus. Plus... my father – well, I guess my stepfather now - was suspisciously white so I guess it makes sense that we wasn't my biological father.”

Graham frowned, watching as Magnus, who he truly considered a friend, attempted to once again resort to humour to lighten his consistently negative mood. Not that Pack could blame him, after all jail wasn't exactly fun.

“Alec seems very invested in this. He obviously cares about you.”

Magnus smirked slightly. “Yeah, he does. That and he loves me”, he said, shrugging slightly. Despite his body language, Graham could tell that the thought was fair from unimportant to Magnus and deserved a far better response than a shrug. From the slight blush on Magnus' cheeks, Graham could tell he was correct.

He wasn't stupid; first of all both men had explicitly acknowledged their relationship, but what they didn't know what how sickenly obvious they were in everything they did, right down to their body language and how they reacted to one another.

Even Alec's text messages was enough to make Magnus blush.

Knowing Magnus was likely missing his boyfriend greatly, Graham made a mental note to text Alec and remind him to come over sooner rather than later.

“We'll keep digging”, he eventually said, growing impatient with the silence in the room. “On Alec's end it seems like they might have some possible leads. On our end, we're working with your lawyer to establish a timeline. Don't worry Magnus, you have an alibi and the times don't match up. Your defence isn't effortless, but its there.”

Magnus nodded slowly, eyes focused firmly on his chained hands. “It's got holes though, right?”

Graham sighed. “Admittedly a lot of your defence is dependent on Alec, as he's your alibi. Besides that it comes down to lack of proof against you; no security camera evidence, and the DNA found inside Camille came back inconclusive. They have no proof it was you, only hearsay and suspected motives. And maybe one dodgy letter that they can't even prove _you_ sent.”

“Well at least that's something”, Magnus said somewhat sarcastically. Casting a disgusted eye over himself, he sighed. “Would it be impossible to get a change of clothes? And if there's no proof, maybe a freakin' ticket out of here?”

Graham laughed softly. “I'll see what I can do.”

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

_11:20AM_

_**I shall meet you at the disclosed location then. I look forward to it, Alec Lightwood.** _

 

Alec frowned down at his phone slightly, uncomfortable with Meliorn's constant formal demeanour. He just... felt like it was hiding something.

 

_11:21AM_

_**You shall. See you then.** _

 

Alec quickly tucked his phone away, approaching the doors of his sister's dance school, swinging them open and slipping in unnoticed. His interest piqued when he spotted his sister, spinning gracefully around the room, at least 10 pairs of eyes focused eagerly on every movement.

“Where did you wonder off to last night then?” Catarina said, not unkindly, as she approached Alec from her office. “Your brother didn't half worry when you never came home.”

Alec smiled softly, his eyes remaining on his sister. He fiddled with the ring on his finger; Magnus's 'M' ring.

“I did. I just- came back late.”

“Surely 3am is no longer considered late, but rather early.”

Alec grinned. “Probably”, he relented, turning to face her. “How are you?”

Catarina smiled genuinely at his words, resting a gently hand to his shoulder and squeezing slightly. “As well as any of us, I suppose. Any news?”

Alec shifted slightly, nodding. “I'll update everyone later.”

Cat nodded once, not once to argue. “Okay, Alec. Well... this is Izzy's last session for the day so feel free to steal her away when she's done with this class.”

Alec grinned, “Thanks Cat.”

Cat smiled softly as she headed back into her office, leaving Alec to watch his sister once more.

The way she moved, with such precision and grace made Alec both proud and unimaginably jealous. Not that Alec had ever desired to dance but it would have been nice to have a talent. The closest to a talent Alec got was being able to hit a bullseye in archery.

Still, he couldn't fault Izzy for the way she effortlessly exceeded all expectations when it came to hers.

After a few more moments watching Izzy running round helping the young children perfect their spins, the younger Lightwood finally spotted her brother. She quickly informed her dancers that she would be playing the music for them to practice to, coming over to join Alec the moment the music started and her class began to twirl.

Keeping her eyes locked on her dancers, Izzy gently prodded her brother's arm. “Where were you?”

Alec followed her lead, watching as the children, some no older than 6, spun with more grace than he had ever demonstrated in anything. Except, again, maybe archery.

“I met someone.”

Izzy's attention was effectively stolen and she gaped up at her big brother in surprise. “You dont mean-”

“-No, not like that”, Alec sighed rolling his eyes. “Obviously not.”

“Well you were out all night”, Izzy teased, turning back to her students.

Alec laughed softly. “First of all, I came home at like 3 for it was hardly all night, and second I am currently madly in love with someone else so I dont know how well that would work out.”

Izzy beamed, eyes trained on the kids but her attention solely fixed on her brother. “I am so insanely happy for you hermano, even if you're in love with a criminal.”

Alec smirked at the obvious teasing in her voice. “Oh he is quite dangerous”, Alec played along.

“Of course”, Izzy giggled, linking her arm through Alec's.

Alec opened his mouth to talk but was interrupted by the music coming to an end and Izzy calling out to her class.

“That was awesome, guys! Matty, awesome footwork buddy and Dominic that was really good but make sure not to spin too fast or you lose your balance; we'll work on it. That's all for today guys! See you next week!”

Alec couldn't help but smile as he watched the kids run to meet their parents, receiving endless praise if the smiles on their faces meant anything. Alec pushed away any envy he felt, focusing instead on an approaching parent.

The woman was quite young, her skin dark and her eyes bright. She had a small boy, Dominic if Alec guessed correctly, wrapped around her left leg.

“Miss Lightwood”, she greeted.

Izzy smiled widely at the mother. “Mrs Owana, lovely to see you.”

Mrs Owana nodded gratefully, her hand running gently through her son's hair as he grinned up at his teacher. “I wanted to talk to you about Mr Bane. Was he not supposed to be taking this lesson?”

Izzy immediately switched very much into business mode, unlooping her arm from Alec. The movement caught Mrs Owana's attention and she cast Alec a curious look, to which he only smiled nervously.

“Magnus is actually on a small vacation of sorts. I know the timing is unfortunate but it really couldn't be helped”, Izzy said softly.

Mrs Owana frowned. “Their competition is in two weeks, is it not?”

“Yes Ma'am”, Izzy agreed.

“Then surely he should be here. Did the entire practice not just shut down for weeks while you all went on vacation?”

Alec shifted uncomfortably as he looked between his little sister and her client.

Izzy nodded, her smile tight. “That is true but this is slightly different. Besides, myself and Miss Loss are still around so the kids are still getting their lessons.”

“Yes”, Mrs Owana sighed. “But surely Mr Bane has more decorum, to at least warn us parents before leaving unexpectedly.”

“It was very last minute”, Izzy said softly. “And I apologise if you did not receive the email we sent to parents informing them of the change.”

Mrs Owana shook her head firmly. “An email is impersonal, child”, she said, her voice growing tense. “I would prefer that Mr Bane be a little more forthcoming and show some respect for us parents next time.”

Izzy looked down awkwardly. “Of course Mrs Owana”, she agreed hesitantly. “I know that he was very disappointed with his needing to leave.”

“I'm sure”, Mrs Owana said somewhat unkindly, turning her attention once more to Alec. “Is this his stand-in?”

Alec startled slightly, growing awkward under the stern woman's eyes.

Izzy quickly jumped to Alec's side, shaking her head. “No, Ma'am. For now I will be taking over Magnus's lessons. This is my older brother, Alec, who was just visiting me.”

Mrs Owana nodded slowly, her eyes following Alec curiously. Alec squirmed uncontrollably under her gaze, growing exceptionally uncomfortable.

Something in Mrs Owana's eyes seemed to ignite for she shifted slightly, turning herself in Alec's direction to look him over appetisingly. “Interesting”, the woman sighed. Her eyes lingered briefly on the ring adorning Alec's finger, her gaze piercing.

“Well”, she said, straightening up and gently pushing her son towards the exit. “Lovely to meet you, Mr Lightwood. And thank you very much for speaking to me Miss Lightwood.”

When she was gone and the room empty, Izzy sighed, her shoulders slouching slightly. “That woman is so... uptight”, she complained.

Alec laughed slightly. “You can say that again.”

Izzy smirked, turning to her brother and looping her arm through his again. “So, hermano, what brings you here?”

Alec sighed softly, letting his little sister guide him outside and towards his car. “Sasha is letting me go over to hers and look through Camille's stuff; the stuff the police don't have. I wanted to know if you would come with me.”

Izzy nodded slowly, her cheerful demeanour slipping slightly. “Of course”, she agreed kindly, sliding into the passenger seat of Alec's car. “Are you hoping to find something on Camille's phone?”

Alec nodded, starting the engine. “Hopefully she'll have some messages, texts or something. If we're lucky one of them might be to the guy after Magnus.”

Izzy was quiet for a moment. “So this is it then? We're really diving head first into this mob boss stuff?”

Alec paused, looking over at his sister warily. “Why? Do you not think we should?”

“Oh no”, Izzy quickly said. “I definitely think we should I just... we have no idea what we're getting ourselves into. We're not exactly a mob boss family ourselves.”

“No”, Alec agreed. “But we did grow up as Lightwoods and I think that's sort of prepared us for stuff like this. You and I both know, mom and dad didn't get that rich from harmless business, Iz; Dad's a terrible businessman.”

Izzy snorted slightly. “Yeah, tell me about it.”

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

“Come on in, Alec. Nice to see you again, Izzy”, Sasha greeted, closing the door softly behind them.

On the many different occasions that Alec, Raphael and Sasha had all hung out, they had never felt their friendships personal enough to go to each other's houses. Or perhaps it was just their desire to get out when together. Alec wasn't sure but being in Sasha's house felt rather strange.

It wasn't a horrible building, far from it. The building was in a particularly nice neighbourhood, the buildings old but refined and the streets clearly alive with history and reputation. Alec didn't doubt that Sasha's insanely rich family had paid for the house, all too familiar with how stunted a pay check from the bar could be.

“Just follow me”, Sasha said softly, heading up the stairs.

Alec and Izzy followed after her, trailing behind her into a crowded room that Alec assumed was a guest room. Sasha crouched down and pulled a small cardboard box from under the bed. It was evidently heavy for she struggled to lift it above her head and put it on the bed. Alec quickly stepped in and did it for her, smiling when she thanked him.

“This is everything she left at mine, and what she took to work that day. Excluding things like clothes and make-up, it's all the personal little bits. The police haven't been over to ask for any of this yet but it wouldn't surprise me if they did so maybe... take some pictures or something of anything important.”

Alec was once again taken aback by Sasha's calm acceptance of the situation. “Thank you so much for this, Sash.”

Sasha nodded, the smile she sent Alec somewhat strained. “No problem big guy. I'll bring up some drinks but otherwise I'll leave you to it. I would help but-”

“-No”, Alec interrupted kindly. “We totally get it. Be as involved as you want.”

Sasha nodded before heading down the stairs to fetch drinks. Alec turned to his sister, who had already made herself comfortable on the bed, legs crossed.

Alec joined her, sitting opposite and pulling the box between them. He carefully began to remove the top items, inspecting each of them curiously.

When he looked up to meet Izzy's eye curiously, she sent him a stern look. When he raised an eyebrow in question, Izzy looked over his shoulder to see if Sasha was near. “Take pictures of everything”, she whispered. “Absolutely everything. Then we know if we need to come back for something later. Plus, something that might look unimportant might be important somewhere down the line.”

Alec nodded in agreement. “Good idea.”

Sasha's footsteps could be hear and both Lightwoods paused briefly, accepting the drinks she handed them with smiles and words of gratitude. Sasha turned to leave, pausing briefly in the doorway. “Just be careful with everything and... let me know if you want to take anything with you.”

“Thank you again Sasha, this means so much to us. To Magnus too.”

Sasha nodded. “Glad to help”, she smiled ruefully, before finally heading downstairs. Alec waited for the telltale signs of her moving around downstairs before he got back to the box.

The first item he pulled out was a small wooden box, tucked into the corner of the box and wrapped in a soft purple fabric. Pulling out his phone, Alec quickly snapped a photo of the box's decorations and patterns; rather safe than sorry.

Putting down his phone, Alec attempted to pry open the box. After a moment of struggling, the rusty latch clicked open and the box's lid creaked open. Casting a glance to Izzy who was busy running her fingers across an old embroidered piece of fabric, Alec looked inside.

Tucked inside the small box were several rings. From the look of things, they weren't all originally Camille's. Many of them had family crests on them, even initials and intricate scribbles. Alec frowned, pulling forth a short and delicately cut women's ring, twisting it around in his fingers. As it caught the light, Alec caught sight of writing on the gold and paused.

'Bane'

Alec's frown deepened and he looked at the ring closely. It was clearly a woman's, no doubt about it. That must mean it was someone from Magnus's family; perhaps his mother. Alec reached blinding across the bed to grab Izzy's hand.

Izzy startled. “What is it hermano?”

Alec ignored her, taking her hand in his and slipping the ring onto her left hand. Yep, definitely a woman's. And a wedding band no less.

“I think that was Magnus' mother's ring”, Alec sighed.

Izzy raised an eyebrow, bringing the ring up to her line of sight, inspecting it curiously. “It's expensive”, she stated simply. “I mean really expensive.”

Alec nodded; he expected nothing less. “Y'think this is what they want?”

Izzy sighed. “Hard to say, but I doubt they want a a boring run-of-the-mill wedding band.”

“Fair point”, Alec snorted softly, taking the ring back and quickly snapping a few pictures of it. Looking between the ring and the box, it was clear that it had not been opened in months maybe even years if the latch was any sign. Deciding that Sasha couldn't possibly know about each individual ring in the box, Alec tucked it into his pocket before quickly inspecting the other rings. At Izzy's insistence, he took a quick picture of each ring before putting the box to the side.

“You know.. if we're taking pictures of every little thing this will take forever.”

Izzy rolled her eyes, folding up the fabric she was inspecting and casting it aside. “How many times in the movies have the characters left important stuff behind and then needed it later? Trust me, I'm covering all our tracks.”

Alec copied her, rolling his eyes affectionately. “This isn't a movie, Iz.”

“Not yet”, Izzy shrugged. “But mob bosses are pretty 'The Godfather'”

“Have you even seen that movie?” Alec laughed.

Izzy snorted, tugging a stack of papers out of the box. “Nope”, she giggled.

Alec grinned at the sound, having grown rather appreciate of his sibling's happiness over the last few weeks; their lives had a tendency of going to hell after too long these days.

Alec eventually turned back to the box, pulling out what he had been looking for; Camille's phone. Grateful and simultaneously surprised she didn't have a password, Alec opened the device and began parading through.

First he headed to her emails, flicking through each. Frowning, displeased, Alec filed through an endless stream of junkmail and spam. Growing aggitated, he decided to head to her texts.

There were some from Sasha, as expected, but their conversations were rather basic; the occasional “what do you want for dinner?” or “we're out of milk”. Alec quickly moved on to other conversations, feeling like he was intruding on his friend.

There were a few texts between a contact called 'loser <3' and even a few with an aunt or two, which admittedly surprised Alec. Beside the family conversations, all equally as mundane, there were only a few contacts.

Looking first at the conversation Camille had with someone called Adam, Alec was somewhat disappointed when the conversation was generally very basic. From their topics Alec suspected Adam was likely a potential date. Alec felt a wave of relief for the man; he had really dodged a bullet with Camille, as cruel as it felt to think.

Finally, there was a conversation with an unknown number.

 

_02/12/16_

_**Turn left.** _

 

_12/01/17_

_**He wants to see you.** _

_**Room 3. Second floor.** _

 

_13/01/17_

_**He's growing frustrated Camilia. Do not make him wait.** _

 

_15/01/17_

_**You have no doubt received his message. I hope it was clear enough for you to understand.** _

 

_23/01/17_

_**He will gladly send another message, Miss Monrova.** _

 

_14/03/17_

_**You are aware he does not resort to violence often. Do not make him.** _

 

_21/04/17_

_**Know that this game amuses him.** _

 

_23/04/17_

_**He will find you. This game will end.** _

 

_02/05/17_

_**How you amuse him, Monrova.** _

 

_11/06/17_

_**Almost 6 months since he last saw you. He wishes to meet with you. I suspect he misses you, even.** _

 

_12/07/17_

_**7 months is a long time for even the fastest of runners. Everyone grows tired eventually.** _

 

_14/07/17_

_**Prey always grow frantic when their predator approaches** _

 

_17/07/17_

_**Oh how he has missed you.** _

_**Turn around.** _

 

_18/07/17_

_**So lovely to see you again last night, Miss Monrova. Details will be sent to you soon.** _

 

_23/07/17_

_**Congratulations. More details to follow.** _

 

_30/07/17_

_**Meet him in the usual location, 1900. Do not be late.** _

 

_01/08/17_

_**You must know by now how he hates being stood up** _

 

_03/08/17_

_**You are currently living with your older cousin. Her name is Sasha Brancher. She lives at number 13. Works at the bar not too far down the street. Her manager is Barry Shelley, her co-workers Raphael Santiago and Alexander Lightwood. She attends a gym class run by Angela Lounds. The banker who served her last week is called Ben Sharp.** _

_**Do not underestimate him, Miss Monrova.** _

 

_11/08/17_

_**He is truly not afraid to cause a scene. He would prefer a private liaison. Do not make him send a message.** _

_**Again.** _

 

_23/08/17_

_**Didn't anyone ever tell you not to play with your food, Camille?** _

 

_01/09/17_

_**You're getting rather close to him arent you. Perhaps we'll pay him a visit.** _

 

_13/09/17_

_**He's pleased to see you are still so dedicated to your job whether he is around or not.** _

_**Oh silly me, you must be busy right now. Getting your fingerprint taken and what not.** _

 

_15/09/17_

_**How convenient that you are now in one place, Camille. You may not be able to read these messages any longer but it is rather delicious smelling your fear regardless of whether you can read his threats. You know he is coming, dont you?** _

 

 

“Alec?”

Alec's lip quivered as he stared down at the phone in his hand.

“Alec! What's wrong? What have you found?”

Alec looked up at his little sister, his eyes wide and frantic. Izzy quickly abandoned the stack of bills she was sorting through, and joining him at his side. Hastily taking the phone, Izzy made a quick job of reading through the messages, her body growing more rigid and tense with each word. Alec could tell when she read his own name, for a small gasp left her mouth.

“Oh my God.. who is this guy?”

Alec shrugged helplessly, swallowing the lump in his throat before he spoke. “I have no idea but he doesn't exactly sound like someone you'd want to meet, huh?”

Izzy smirked slightly but it didn't reach her eyes. “Don't bother taking pictures, we'll just take the phone. Simon's good with computers maybe he could work some magic on it.”

“Like what?” Alec asked, genuine curiosity hiding the nervousness in his voice.

“Well we have a number right? Why not try and track it down?”

Alec frowned deeply. “That doesn't sound like the best idea. These guys dont sound like people to mess with.”

“For Magnus, they are.”

Alec looked down at the phone in his hand, staring at his number on the screen as though it were taunting him. Alec took a deep, unsettling breath before nodding.

“For Magnus.”

“Oh by the way”, Izzy said offhandedly. “Camille bought a gun.”

Alec sat up straighter at that, shifting to look at the small receipt that Izzy held in her hand. Sure enough, Camille had bought a handgun and ammunition not long ago.

“What's the date?” Alec said, quickly scrambling with the phone to look at the messages.

Izzy seemed to immediately understand what he was doing and looked at the receipt closely. “It's slightly faded but I think its July 19th.”

Alec sighed, flicking through the messages until he found what he needed. “The day before”, he sighed. “The day before she got a message saying it was lovely to see her the night before. That means these guys caught up to her, they found her.”

“So she bought a weapon, to defend herself”, Izzy finished his train of thought, smile spreading across her face slightly. “Okay. I'll keep looking, maybe there's more stuff to piece together in here.”

Alec thought for a moment, looking back over the messages. “Wait”, he finally said, rubbing his fingers across his temple. “What was the date?”

“The date?” Izzy asked curiously. “Of what?”

“The date Camille got arrested? The date she tried to rape me?”

Izzy winced slightly, disliking the way in which her brother said the words. Izzy shrugged lightly. “I think... maybe it was the 9th.... I dont- I dont remember.”

“She died”, Alec began, “less than a week after she was arrested. Maybe... I dont know, 6 days. If she died on the 18th, then she tried to rape me on the 12th . Right?”

Izzy nodded slowly. “Well... you were in the hospital for a day or two then spent like 3 or 4 days at Magnus' before he was arrested so... yeah. I think maybe 6 days. Why?”

“Because”, Alec began, his voice going a mile-a-minute. “If I was attacked on the 12th... she got a text the next day. It says 'He's pleased to see you are still so dedicated to your job whether he is around or not.' And then a couple of hours later she gets another one; 'Oh silly me, you must be busy right now. Getting your fingerprint taken and what not'. Izzy, whoever they are... they knew.”

Izzy gaped. “Oh my God. She was arrested the day before... the fingerprint comment. They knew she was arrested.”

Alec nodded frantically, looking at his sister in alarm. “And the same day she gets a message that says she's still dedicated to her job. Raphael said that Camille said whoever she's working for wants to hurt Magnus; she hurt Magnus by hurting me.”

Izzy immediately began to shake her head. “No way. No. Raphael asked her and she said you were just for her own amusement.”

“But what if I wasn't?” Alec demanded, his voice rising. “I spent days wondering 'why me? Why me?'... what is this is why?”

Izzy looked at her brother, noticing the indisputable flame alight in his eyes. Something had ignited in him and in that moment she knew how desperate he was to be right, to know that Camille had hurt him for a reason, that he wasn't just a random victim she desired, that there was a purpose. Izzy sighed, reaching out to touch her brother's hand.

He paused in his frantic mumbling to meet Izzy's eye. “It makes sense, Iz.”

“I know it does, hermano”, Izzy agreed. “It makes complete sense. But... dont get ahead of yourself, we'll figure it out.”

“We already are”, Alec insisted. Quickly turning the phone to her, Alec displayed the screen to her. “And look”, he said. “This is the text she received the day we went to visit mom and dad, the day I came back to Magnus crying at my place because he had seen Camille again.”

 

_**Didn't anyone ever tell you not to play with your food, Camille?** _

 

“They knew”, Alec said frantically. “They knew that she saw Magnus again. They want Magnus, right? Because of something they think he has?”

Izzy frowned, looking at the message below the last.

 

_**You're getting rather close to him arent you. Perhaps we'll pay him a visit.** _

 

Although reluctant to agree, Izzy nodded. “They must have been watching her, everything she did. They knew she worked with you, clearly knew she saw Magnus again and was pleased. They even knew she attacked you, when that isn't even public knowledge. They congratulated her for hurting you, because it hurt Magnus. I- I just... Wait.”

Izzy paused, as though what she was thinking was too horrible for her to voice. Looking at Alec frantically, as though he might disappear any minute, is what made it clear to Alec exactly what she was thinking.

“But if they know all of that then-”

“-Then they know who I am to Magnus”, Alec finished, his breath catching.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! 
> 
> As of right now, I'm planning to upload once a week. So far, its looking like it will be every wednesday, but I may end up changing it to Fridays when I go back to school. Dont worry, I'll inform you if and when the change occurs but as of right now.... the next update will be on wednesday!
> 
> Let me know in the comments section below, and if you're enjoying the slightly darker route this story is going... and it is slowly becoming a little darker around the edges ;) Hit me up with those comments!
> 
> Tumblr: justmagnusbane (I post previews and updates on posting so go ahead and follow me!)
> 
> Have a good day <3


	5. And This House Just Ain't No Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group begin to formulate a plan... but are they losing their morals in the hunt to protect Magnus?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! We're back with chapter 5!   
> Enjoy <3
> 
>  
> 
> WARNINGS: discussion of criminal activity

“You can't see him any more.”

Alec looked at Meliorn as though he had grown a second head, disgust and hurt in his eyes. Immediately he felt the urge to scoff; as if some stranger could tell Alec he couldn't see his boyfriend.

“What?”

Meliorn looked almost sympathetic; it was the most emotion Alec had seen him show in the 24 hours he had known him.

“You can't see Magnus Bane. You and I both know that they'll have eyes on him, maybe even some police officers on their payroll. If you go to him they could follow you, find you. Best case scenario, they kill you at the station and only you die, rather than your whole family.”

Alec gaped at Meliorn. “You really think they haven't found me already?”

Meliorn shook his head, a small smile in place. “Oh no, of course they have. You've confirmed this with the details you've acquired from the dead girl's phone, but going to see Magnus gives them incentive. Let them believe you have abandoned him behind bars, that you dont care. Maybe then they won't kill you just to make Magnus cry.”

Alec shook his head vehemently. “This is insane. I'm not leaving him there. No way!”

“It's the best chance you've got of not getting yourself killed”, Meliorn insisted.

Alec took a deep breath, holding his head. So much had happened in the last 24 hours and it was truly starting to catch up with him. While Alec was grateful that they appeared to be making some headway in finding out who wanted Magnus, all of the information that had come to light was overwhelming. Finding Camille's phone, meeting Meliorn... it was all too much. Especially when Alec had yet to truly update everyone and let them know what was happening.

Only Izzy really knew the extent to which Alec was going after these guys and to be honest, Alec was terrified of telling Raphael.

So when half of his family were still in the dark, it was a little frightening to carry the burden of all of this on his own.

“I can't do that”, he sighed uselessly.

Meliorn looked him over. “Alec Lightwood”, he began, voice as regal as ever. “Go home. Tell your family of what you have learned and tell them what I have said. See what they say. But head my warning, Alec; going near him is dangerous.”

With that, Meliorn left, leaving Alec behind to bask in his sorrow.

 

 

….

 

 

When Alec finally made his way back to the loft, he was greeted with exactly the sort of reception he had expected.

“Hermano? You're back? Are you okay?” Izzy asked softly, caressing her brother's cheek lightly as she inspected him.

After leaving Sasha's house, taking all their pictures as well as the phone and documents with them, Alec had dropped Izzy at home before heading to his meeting with Meliorn. Izzy had messaged him repeatedly but he had ignored her.

Now he was paying the price for it.

Alec gasped in surprise, clutching his forehead when Izzy smacked his head. “Jeez, Iz!”

“Don't scare me like that!” Izzy shouted before beginning to drag him into the main room.

Alec tried to hide a groan of frustration when he saw everyone sitting around on the sofa's, looking expectantly at Alec. Raphael looked pissed but in that moment, Alec was surprised that he couldn't find it in himself to feel fear.

“So, Izzy told us some interesting news today”, Jace began. He looked almost intimidating sitting in a small chair, sitting forward with his elbows on his knees, glaring up at Alec.

“And Luke sent me an interesting message about some information you had asked him to find”, Clary added.

The last thing Alec could handle right now was Clary Fray crossing her arms and raising her eyebrow at him expectantly. He cringed slightly at how much it reminded him of his mother.

Alec sighed. “Okay, look. I'll... I'll update you all on everything. I promise.”

Raphael nodded slowly, darkly. “Hell yeah you will.”

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

Luke continued down the hallway of the police department, heading towards the interrogation rooms. Well aware of what he would find as he entered, Luke opened the door to Room 2, immediately going and joining his partner at the table.

Magnus looked beyond unimpressed as he looked between the men, picking at his chipped nails with a look of distaste on his face.

“Alec never texted me”, Luke began, immediately noticing the way Magnus's shoulders tensed. “But I did find some interesting stuff. I wanted to stop by here before I head over to his place to update him.”

“And why is that?” Magnus said sarcastically. “To send him a message from me? 'Oh Alexander, how I miss you. Do come visit me soon, my love'”, he spat out, voice laced with irritation.

Luke looked curiously across at Graham, who shrugged. “He's exceptionally bored.”

Luke nodded knowingly. “I know those white walls can make you a little stir-crazy.”

“Say that again”, Magnus snorted. “Am I seriously not allowed some make-up? Even a little eyeliner?”

Graham shrugged uselessly. “Afraid not”, he said, although he didn't sound particularly heartbroken about it. For that, Magnus glared at him.

“Are they still denying me bail? Because you said so yourself Graham, they have little to no proof against me.”

Luke sighed, settled back into his chair. “They're no longer denying bail”, Luke admitted softly. “But we think its for the best that you dont pay it anyway.”

“You're delusional”, Magnus scoffed, looking up from his nails to send Luke a condescending look. “Why would I chose to stay in here?”

“You dont even have the money for bail”, Luke insisted.

Magnus snorted unattractively. “Luke, it's not like I'm Michael Jackson; my bail wont be millions of dollars. I can handle it.”

“Well then being here keeps you safe”, Luke said firmly, sitting forward to meet Magnus's eye.

Magnus had to hand it to him; very few people were willing to challenge Magnus.

“But it also keeps me isolated, and alone and away from my family. From Alec”, the stumble in Magnus's voice at Alexander's name made him wince, and both Luke and Graham's eyes softened.

“Look, from what I've found we have reason to believe that the people coming after you are dangerous Magnus. They're powerful enough to kill a woman behind bars and get away with framing it on someone else. You need to be somewhere you're safe.”

Magnus sighed exaggeratedly. “This is ridiculous. Camille was killed _inside this station_. That means you've either got shit security or someone in the force is on the bad guys payroll and if so, I'm no safer here than I am out there.”

Luke sighed; Magnus had a point. “We've got bigger fish to fry than your trial, Magnus”, Luke began apologetically. “If this is a stitch-up against you, if someone is trying to get you put away for a murder you didn't commit then we need to be figuring who it is. By staying in here, you're letting Alec get on with finding out whose doing this.”

“If I was out, I could help him”, Magnus argued passionately, ignorant to Luke's deep sigh and eye roll. “Nothing you say will convince me, Luke.”

Graham and Luke shared a look, both reluctant to give up but their willpower waning. With one final sigh, Luke nodded. “I'll let Alec know.”

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

“I wanna meet him”, Izzy piped up, leaning forward eagerly in her seat.

“You can”, Alec insisted but was quickly interrupted by more voices.

“This is some really dramatic _'Godfather'_ type stuff”, Simon said cheerfully.

“Stop comparing this to ' _the Godfather'_ ”, Clary chastised.

Jace smirked. “This guy sounds shady. Invite him over tomorrow.”

“Yeah, the sooner we meet him-”

“-I don't know if its a good-”

“-What if he tries-”

“-Can we really trust him t-”

“-SHUT UP!”

The room fell completely silent, all eyes darting to Raphael. He had risen from his seat, grimace in place and glares to spare. He looked from each person to the next, glaring until they firmly shut their mouths.

When he was sure everyone was obediently silent, he turned to his best friend.

“Alec, can we trust this Meliorn guy?” he asked simply.

Alec had always appreciated Raphael's ability to get straight to the point and was no less grateful for it now. “I don't know”, he said honestly. “But he's given me no reason to doubt him so far. He's our best shot.”

Raphael nodded slowly. “And you've got Camille's stuff?”

“In the car”, Alec confirmed with a single nod.

Raphael smiled softly at his best friend, his brother. “And Luke and Graham are getting the information about this Asmodeous guy?”

“Yep”, Alec said, letting out a breath. “That's it for now, but it's something to go on.”

“You realise this isn't just some investigation, Alec. You realise that this guy could be insanely dangerous, that we could get killed doing this, right?”

Alec paused at that, sceptical. He hadn't entirely let himself think about all of the negative, more dangerous aspects of what they were undertaking. Perhaps doing so made it all feel real, when otherwise Alec could pretend this was all a bad dream. That he would wake up, pleasantly sore, laying beside Magnus after their first time, bathing in the early morning sun before getting up and going about his regular life.

“I know the consequences... but it's _Magnus,_ Raph. I have to.”

Raphael nodded, “Oh I agree. I just need everyone else to be onboard, knowing the extent of what we're getting ourselves into.”

“Alec made a very good point”, Ragnor's British accent resonated across the room. “This is Magnus. I'm in, 100%”

“Me too”, Cat vowed, nodding approvingly at Alec. Alec couldn't help but smile back, having admittedly developed a soft spot for Magnus' roommate.

“Me three”, Jace smirked, raising his hand proudly and squaring his shoulders.

Izzy joined him, raising her hand with a wide grin. “If we're going to die doing something, it might as well be something as cool as taking down a mob boss- if that's even what you'd call him.”

“I'm with you guys too”, Clary said proudly.

“I guess I am too. Every badass team needs a geeky computer nerd on their side or they don't stand a chance”, Simon spoke up merrily.

Alec looked around him at his friends and family, his smile widening. “Thank you”, he sighed gratefully. He was even a little grateful for Simon's ever-annoying presence.

“While you're at it, every group needs a law enforcer on the inside”, a voice piped up from the doorway.

Everyone spun around to follow the voice and to their surprise, Luke Garroway grinned back at them.

“You guys really need to learn how to close a door”, he said teasingly as he entered to room.

“Hey Luke”, Clary greeted, standing to give him a small hug.

Luke beamed as he returned the embrace. “Hey kiddo, how you been?”

Clary smiled, “I've been great. Joined the wanna-be Avengers as you can tell.”

Luke smirked, turning to Alec with a grin. “Does that make you Nick Fury?”

Alec snorted. “No way. Not cool enough.”

“Or pigmented enough”, Simon piped up, grinning wildly.

Alec rolled his eyes dismissively, turning his gaze to Luke to welcome him with a smile. “What brings you here Luke?”

Luke grinned, holding up a small black satchel, thick and almost overflowing. “I bring your information on that guy you wanted me to look up; Asmodeous.”

Alec nodded, taking the bag appreciatively. “Thanks for your help, Luke. You're right, we need a guy on the inside.”

“No problem, happy to help”, Luke said kindly. “I actually wanted to talk to you about something too.”

“Sure”, Alec said encouragingly as he sat down opposite Luke, surrounded by his family and friends. “What's up?”

Luke frowned slightly. “It's Magnus.”

Immediately, Alec began to panic. Suddenly going rigid, Alec stilled. “What about him? Is he okay?”

“He's fine, dont worry”, Luke insisted, attempting to reassure Alec. “It's just that I told him that they're no longer denying him bail today. I wanted to try to convince him to stay at the precinct anyway because me and Graham think he's safer from these people there, but he keeps insisting on leaving.”

Alec was silent for a moment, contemplating Luke's words and simultaneously thinking back to his conversation with Meliorn.

“Actually, if we're on the subject, I spoke to Meliorn about this earlier.”

“Who's Meliorn?” Luke asked politely.

Jace grinned widely. “Our informant. We have an informant.”

Alec rolled his eyes at his brother, exasperated. “Anyway”, he said pointedly. “He said that he thinks I should stay away from Magnus, because the people that are no doubt watching him might come for me.”

“Okay, you know what”, Raphael growled. “I was gonna give this guy a chance but now I know he's an idiot. No way are we leaving Magnus in jail for no reason. No way.”

“That's what I said”, Alec agreed firmly. “But he has a point. If those guys followed Magnus or me back here then they could get to all of us. Especially with us all living under the same roof.”

Raphael shook his head, leaving no room for discussion. “Doesn't matter. We do this together or not at all.”

Alec took a moment and looked at his friend. Remembering all that the pair had been through, all the issues they had faced and effortlessly come out the other end, scathed but alive.

Alec nodded. “Okay.”

“If its decided then”, Clary piped up. “How are we going to get the bail money?”

Jace sighed playfully. “Always the buzz kill, Fray.”

Clary grinned at Jace, swatting his shoulder lightly. She missed the look of adoration on Izzy's face at the display.

“OOOOH! Ooh!” Simon shouted excitedly, jumping up and down in his seat. “Can we do some crazy group hustle stuff? You know? Like in those movie montages?”

Alec gaped at Simon, shocked that they let the imbecile into the operation. Was that what he was calling it now?

Smirking, Raphael nodded eagerly. “Yeah. Why not?”

“Okay, first of all that's illegal”, Luke said sternly, clearly unimpressed.

“Simon has a point though”, Clary added. “How else will we ever get the money?”

Jace tossed his head back to laugh suddenly. “Yes, Fray!”

Clary laughed with him, once more smacking his arm gently. “Shut up, Jace.”

“Okay”, Alec interrupted, growing impatient. “All of you have a point about the money thing but I'm not sure that doing something illegal to get it is the best idea.”

Izzy grinned, a dark gleam in her eye. “Why not? We're totally gonna break the law going after these guys anyway?”

“Are we?” Ragnor inquired, not scandalized but definitely curious.

“Probably”, Jace agreed. “We are sort of already keeping potential evidence for the police. I mean, that's obstructing justice right there.”

Alec looked at Jace in shock. “How would you know that?”

Jace shrugged, shameless grin on his face. “I watch those CSI and NCIS shows.”

“Oh Jesus”, Alec sighed, rolling his eyes to the point where he worried they might fall down the back of his head. “This is insane. We are not breaking the law to get the money.”

“Why not?” Simon cried exaggeratedly. “Join the dark side!”

“Simon, fuck off”, Alec sighed, rubbing a hand down his face in the hopes it would conceal his smile.

Izzy turned to Alec with a wide, uncontrollable grin. “Hermano... the only other way to get the money would be to go to mom and dad?”

Alec groaned loudly into his hand, ignoring Jace and Izzy's snickering, knowing that with that Izzy had almost single-handedly won him over.

“Fine”, he groaned in annoyance. “But we're not doing something illegal.”

“Alec!” Catarina complained.

Alec looked across at her, gaping; he hadn't expected that. “Okay, what has happened to you guys? A couple of weeks ago we were on a grossly hipster, idealic road trip across America and now you want to break the law and run around catching potential crime lords?”

“Oh!” Izzy gasped. “Crime lord sounds way better than mob boss!”

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

“This is insane. And really out of character for you Clary”, Alec sighed deeply.

He was genuinely surprised and so confused as to how all of his family and friends had so eagerly decided the best way to get Magnus' bail money was to hustle or steal it in some way. At this point Alec was pretty sure he'd rather just sell a liver to get the money but the group had decided that to catch a criminal you had to become a criminal.

Considering that people in his group included individuals as uptight as Clary, Ragnor and Catarina, how Alec had become the only one protesting the illegal activity was beyond him. He knew that perhaps all of this was the group trying to lighten the mood, which he wouldn't deny them for considering he was leading them down a very dangerous path, but it still surprised him.

Just because he was breaking the law to protect his boyfriend didn't mean he had to become a full blown criminal.

“I know right?” Clary giggled, obviously elated as she slipped on her second heel. “I can't believe you're letting us do this”, she sighed dreamily.

Alec rolled his eyes. “Look, it's only because you and I both know that whoever is after Magnus has him exactly where they want him. If this were any other situation, we would so not be doing this. Because this is _very_ illegal.”

“Oh calm down Alec”, Izzy grumbled as she joined the pair, heels on and hair curling around her face. She flicked it behind her dramatically. “This is going to be so much fun.”

“It's still insane”, Alec sighed, running a hand through his hair as he turned back to the others. “Simon? Did you do it?”

Simon looked up from his computer, his eyes showing a great deal of stress. “Honestly? I'm sort of struggling but I'm almost there.”

“Does anyone else know computers?” Alec sighed in frustration.

Catarina raised her hand quickly, darting across to Simon and joining him at his laptop. “I'll see what I can do”, she said to Alec. Alec nodded.

“Okay, so everyone clear on what we're doing?” he asked one more time.

Jace laughed lightly as he tucked a small pen knife into his pocket, for which Alec shot him a disapproving look. Jace simply shrugged. “Alec this really isnt that complicated of a situation. Calm down, dude.”

“Oh I'm sorry”, Alec said sarcastically. “This is my first time committing organised crime, what about you Jace?”

Jace rolled his eyes. “Robbing a small boutique is hardly organised crime, Alec.”

Alec sighed. He was really starting to feel like a burden to the others but he really couldn't contain his confusion and his distress. He wanted to get Magnus out of jail as much as anyone but robbing a family-owned boutique in the middle of town was just bordering on cruel and insane.

“Trust me”, Izzy sighed, sensing Alec's distress. “The guys who own this are loaded, and they're assholes too.”

Alec frowned slightly, leaning into her touch when she held his cheek. “How so?”

Izzy smile darkly. “Last time I went in there, one of the owners accused me of being a prostitute who couldn't afford to shop there. Seriously, dont feel guilty about doing this.”

Alec sighed deeply. “It's just... we've all suddenly done a 180. It's one thing that suddenly we're having to find crime lords and get our friend out or jail because suddenly our lives went to shit but all of a sudden our morals have too? This is very sudden, Iz.”

Izzy nodded. “Yeah it is hermano”, she agreed, her voice laced with regret. “But these are desperate times. We aren't bad people, we're people in a tricky situation. Someone we all love and care about is in danger and we need to get him out of there now because the people after him know where he is. Us doing this is us potentially saving Magnus' life. Okay? You are not a bad person for doing this.”

Alec took a deep breath before finally nodding slowly. He looked over at Jace who had paused, watching his brother sympathetically. “You're way too happy about this”, Alec said lightly.

Jace grinned. “Always knew I was a badass. Now I'm just acting on it”, he joked.

Slowly, Alec broke out into a smile, nodding once more. He looked back to Simon and Cat. “You got it?”

“It's up and running”, Simon confirmed. “When you get in the shop, it should disconnect the camera's and any surveillance in a 10 meter radius.”

“That's not very far”, Jace complained, clearly unimpressed.

“Can you do any better?” Raphael asked defensively, annoyed at everyone's seemingly lacking appreciation for his boyfriend.

Jace shrugged, looking back to his brother, who he hesitantly handed a small pocket knife. Alec took it reluctantly.

“It's one thing to steal but I swear to God Jace... don't hurt anyone. These are for convenience, not hurting people”, he growled looking at the knives with disdain.

Jace ignored him, keeping his agreement with Alec silent. “It'd be so much better if you could bring a bow and arrow, but that's a bit less inconspicuous”, he laughed.

Alec sighed for what felt like the 100th time that day, nodding to the door. “Let's go”, he said firmly. Looking back to the others as Clary, Jace and Izzy left in front of him, he nodded to Raphael. “Text me when we're ready to go.”

“You first”, Raphael nodded back. Alec nodded in agreement before darting from the room after his siblings and Clary.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it guys! 
> 
> Let me know how you're feeling about the route the group is taking. Do you think they're changing for the better or worse? Are they losing their morals?
> 
> Have a good week guys, and we'll see each other again next wednesday! <3


	6. Wonder If He's Gone To Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus attempts to help when the group start heading down a darker path than expected, and begins to formulate a plan of his own

 

 

“They're gonna get you out”, Luke said by way of greeting as he opened the door.

Magnus sat up in the cell, grimacing at the dirt on his hands. “Brilliant”, he said cheerfully. “Any idea when?”

“They have to get the money first”, Luke said, his eyes betraying him.

Magnus knew something was wrong by the look in Luke's eyes. He winced. “Tell me they aren't going to Alexander's parents for the money.”

Luke snorted quietly, shaking his head. “Oh, its much worse.”

“Wait”, Magnus said. He paused, stepping forward to stand against the bars of the cells to look into Luke's eyes. “What are they doing?”

Luke sighed deeply, pressing his hands against the bars in a reflection of Magnus, who had narrowed his eyes. “The guys somehow managed to convince Alec that-” he cut himself off, leaning closer to Magnus to whisper. “-that breaking the law and stealing it is the best way to get the money.”

Magnus stumbled back in surprise, eyeing Luke dubiously. “No way. That's ridiculous. Luke, my bails looking at being over $500,000! How the hell would they steal that? And- and Alexander wouldn't-”

“Shh!” Luke hissed, bringing a finger up to his lips. “You gotta keep your voice down.”

Magnus shook his head in disbelief. “Luke, get me a phone call.”

“Magnus you've already-”

“-Luke!” Magnus interrupted. “I need a phone call.”

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

“Jace, be serious”, Alec chastised as they walked down the street.

With both Clary and Izzy sauntering ahead in heels, Alec was irritated by the endless stream of looks they were receiving. He had always been aware of the fact that Izzy and Clary were beautiful, and Jace was definitely good looking, but as a group the looks were endless. The dirty looks that Jace and Alec received were no doubt out of jealousy but the constant predatory gazes were making his skin crawl.

It wasn't late but the sky was starting to darken. With that came people skulking around, their intentions unclear.

Alec was incredibly uncomfortable.

As they approached the boutique, the crowds and stray people starting to disperse, Alec felt a tell-tale vibration in his pocket.

Swearing, he removed the phone as quickly as possible. He answered before even looking at the number.

“Yes?” he answered, arguably impatiently.

“Alec?”

Alec froze, stopping in the middle of the pavement. Jace stopped, looking back at him in confusion.

“Magnus?”

Jace's eyebrows shot up and he quietly called to the girls, who turned in interest and came to join the boys.

“Wha-what are you- how are you calling me?” Alec stuttered, caught off guard.

Alec heard the distinct sound of Magnus chuckling on the other side.

“Why, hello to you too baby.”

Alec's eyes fluttered shut and he couldn't stop the smile that broke out on his face at the sound of his boyfriend’s voice. “I haven't heard your voice in almost a week”, Alec sighed softly.

“And whose fault is that?” Magnus said. Alec almost felt sorry when he heard Magnus laugh softly. “It's not a big deal, Alexander. I understand you've been busy”, he sighed.

Alec nodded slowly. “Yeah”, he agreed softly. “So, what's wrong? I mean, are you even allowed to call me?”

Magnus snorted. “Of course not, Alec. What do you take me for?”

Alec chuckled, shaking his head. He blatantly ignored the looks his friends were giving him. “So, what's going on?”

“I need you to go home.”

Alec froze. “Wait? What?”

“Yeah, I need you to go home”, Magnus repeated firmly.

Jace shrugged to Alec, mouthing clearly 'what's going on?'

Alec shook his head, putting his hand up to dismiss Jace. “I have no idea what you're talking about, Mags. Seriously, what's wrong?”

“Don't steal anything. Go home.”

Alec's head shot up as though he were a puppet whose strings had been tugged. He gaped at Jace, who once again repeated his question. “How do you know about that?”

“Baby, how do you think?”

“Luke”, Alec sighed, rubbing a hand down his face in frustration.

“Yeah”, Magnus agreed, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Alec groaned loudly, beginning to pace as his siblings and Clary watched him in confusion. “Mags, how else are we going to get you out of there?”

Magnus laughed. “Okay, I get that all of you are cooped up at my place and you're probably all really bored but doing this isn't the solution. Luke told me about the boutique, it's insane!”

“I know! But what else can we do?”

“Not steal from a random boutique”, Magnus said firmly, although his voice was not unkind. “There are other solutions. Admittedly they're still illegal but it’s not as blatantly illegal as stealing from a shop in the middle of town.”

Alec leant back against the wall of the nearest shop, groaning loudly as he threw his head back to the sky. “Mags, I don’t know what I'm doing.”

Magnus's voice softened entirely and a hint of sympathy could be heard in it. “Baby, we'll sort all of this out. But listen to me; you're gonna make mistakes. Hell, everything might go completely south... but I'm here. I mean I'm currently a little busy living in a cell but besides that”, he chuckled. “I'm here.”

“I know”, Alec vowed. “I know. You always are.”

“So”, Magnus sighed. “I'm going to give Luke some details on how you can get the money. They haven't confirmed but the bail will likely be around $500,000 since we’re talking suspected murder, so robbing a little boutique won’t get you anywhere.”

Alec furrowed his eyebrows slightly. “Mags this isn't just some little boutique”, Alec began, stepping forward to meet his brother, who was watching him closely.

“What are you talking about?”

“It's a boutique yeah, but they sell jewellery Magnus. We're talking a ring for $30,000”, Alec said quietly, gesturing for Jace to join him. Jace immediately came to his side.

Magnus sighed on the other end of the phone. “And how prepared are you exactly? To get through security for a place like that?”

“Simon has some scrambling thing... I don’t- I don't really know what it is but Ragnor mentioned it and got Simon on it.”

Magnus laughed softly. “Of course, he did. He's definitely a handle, that one.”

“Magnus, has Ragnor done stuff like this before?” Alec chuckled.

“Probably”, Magnus said and from the tone of his voice, Alec knew he was shrugging. And no doubt smiling.

Alec was silent for a moment, arguing with himself. Magnus’ words were really starting to sink deeper and deeper into Alec’s chest and he felt his throat constricting quickly. Growing panicked, Alec took an unsteady breath before turning to his brother.

Not wanting to air such concerns to Magnus, Alec took the phone from his ear, handing it over to Jace. Jace took it, confusion plastered across his face, before nodding and raising it to his ear.

“Hey, Magnus.”

Alec looked across at Izzy, indicating for her to join them. Izzy did so, raising an eyebrow. “Everything okay, hermano?”

“This is the right thing to do, right? I mean... we don’t have any idea what the store is like, besides you who went in there once, and all we've got is some unreliable scrambler that _Simon Lewis_ is in charge of. And.... I don’t want Magnus to get out of there and the guy who meets him outside those station doors isn’t the man he loved anymore.”

Izzy shook her head, “Alec, that will never happen”, she insisted. “First of all, you're still you. Look... maybe this is wrong, and maybe we shouldn't be doing this and hell, maybe all of our morals have flown out the damn window but you are one of the best people I've ever met Alec. Nothing will change that, not even this. Plus, we can handle this.”

“Can you?” a new voice enquired.

Everyone spun to face their latest addition, Jace stepping forward with a fist clenched and the phone dropping from his ear. Alec immediately stepped in front of his brother, putting his hand against his chest.

“Get back to Magnus”, he insisted, nodding to the phone in Jace's hands.

Jace frowned at the intruder but slowly nodded. “As I said Magnus”, he began, turning away. “None of us have ever done that sort of thing before-”

Alec tuned him out after a moment, turning to Meliorn with a tight-lipped smile.

“I've heard someone's breaking the rules”, Meliorn said by way of greeting.

Alec could feel Izzy and Clary tensing beside him, Izzy's hand sliding into her brothers. Alec squeezed it briefly.

“Nice to see you again, Meliorn. What can I help you with?”

Meliorn grinned at Alec's words. “A lot apparently”, he said coyly. “Can't say I'm not surprised by how quickly you and your little team are willing to flip the coin and start breaking the law instead of following it.”

Meliorn raised a hand to fiddle with the necklace dangling in front of the open green shirt he wore. Alec spared a thought for the surprising number of tattoos Meliorn appeared to have.

Meliorn paused for a moment, turning to Izzy at Alec's side. He grinned, leaning forward. “I don't think we've been introduced. My name is Meliorn”, he said, reaching out a hand.

Izzy's demeanour immediately changed from the defensive one she had undertaken to flirtatious. She beamed, taking Meliorn’s hands and shaking it. “Isabelle”, she smirked seductively.

Alec cringed slightly as Meliorn diverted his attention to his right, where Clary was. Clary greeted him similarly, her smile false but wonderfully deceitful.

“Meliorn”, Alec finally sighed when he grew agitated. “What are you doing here?”

“I'm here to help”, Meliorn said simply. “I'm aware of the route you've decided to go down to obtain the money.”

“How's that?” Clary asked softly.

Meliorn kept his eyes on Alec as he spoke. “I have good hearing, and you happen to be discussing this in the middle of a crowed street in down town LA.”

Alec tensed at the obvious insult, bristling slightly. “Any suggestions then? You seem to have all the answers.”

Meliorn snorted, and it was the first time that Alec thought he sounded less than graceful. “I have very few answers, Alec Lightwood”, he said, overly-pronouncing his name with a curl of his tongue. “But I promised to help protect Magnus Bane, and I always keep my promises.”

Alec frowned slightly. “You never promised to help me”, he said uselessly.

“I never said it was you I made the promise to”, Meliorn insisted.

Alec narrowed his eyes slightly and opened his mouth to speak. Jace's voice cut him off.

“Alec! Come say goodbye, he's gotta go.”

Alec stared at Meliorn for a moment, eyes sharp, before turning to accept the phone from his brother. He pressed the phone against his ear, grateful for how Magnus' voice immediately calmed him down.

“Luke will come to you with the information he has, and Jace has caught me up properly- oh thanks for that by the way, would have loved to hear your voice rather than your brothers”, Magnus laughed.

Alec nodded, smile soft. “I know but you made a good point. We might not be as prepared for this as we thought and.... you're right. This doesn't feel right. We can't do it like this... ro-robbing the store I mean”, he said, looking across at Meliorn. Meliorn met his gaze, nodding. “There's someone here, who knew your dad.”

“My dad or my stepdad?”

Alec could hear the shock in his boyfriend's voice and could almost see the tense set of his shoulders. “Asmodeous.”

“.... Crap! Okay, Alec I have to go. But don't get involved with people who knew my dad, we don't know who he was.”

Alec nodded reluctantly. “I know but if this gets you out then you know that I have to do it.”

Magnus sighed deeply. “Do what you have to do, you know I'll stand by you but just... please look out for yourself. Especially around people that worked for my dad, who might have been an ass for all we know.”

“I know”, Alec chuckled slightly, his voice light. “But it's _you.”_

There was a moment of silence, in which Alec could hear Magnus' voice in the background, dismissing Luke.

“This is one of the many reasons I love you so much”, Magnus sighed. “I have to go, Alexander. I'll see you soon.”

“I love you too, Mags.”

The line went dead, the sound ringing in Alec's ears like a blaring alarm. He turned to Meliorn as he lowered the device from his ear.

“Asmodeous”, he said. “You made that promise to Asmodeous didn't you?”

Meliorn shrugged. “It would make sense, wouldn't it?”

Alec stepped forward slightly, squaring his shoulders and looking down at Meliorn with as stern a gaze as possible. “If you're screwing us over.... screwing _Magnus_ over...”

Meliorn nodded particularly slowly. “I'm well aware of your relationship with Magnus Bane, Alec. I'm sure with an imagination as vast as yours I'd just _love_ the consequences of ‘screwing’ over Magnus.”

Alec watched him for a moment, before stretching out his hand and offering it. Both Meliorn and Alec knew that in that moment, he was offering more than just a handshake. Meliorn smiled, a smile softer and more genuine than Alec had previously seen, and accepted his hand.

“Alec Lightwood, I look forward to working with you.”

 

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

Within the coming days, the group had become more prepared. With Meliorn guiding Alec, sooner rather than later there was organisation to the team. Meliorn had made a point of remaining outside of the group, providing Alec guidance and assistance rather than taking on the role of leading the entirety of the team. Alec suspected he wasn't much of a people-person.

With Magnus' words ringing in Alec's ears, he had voiced his concerns to his friends and adamantly demanded they find another solution. Alec agreed that breaking the law wasn't the issue, but he refused to steal from a small family owned business. Or anyone in general.

It was soon agreed by everyone that, after calming down, there were other options to consider.

Luke had arrived the day after their plan with the boutique had been abandoned. With Graham in toe, both men had delivered any more information they had dug up about Asmodeous, and had come armed with words from Magnus.

Alec looked down at the list of names Magnus had sent them, each accompanied with contacts and a brief description of their job. Beside most names was a small star, which Alec had been informed were Magnus' way of letting him know they weren't just contacts but exes. Alec appreciated the knowledge, for it made it a hell of a lot easier to choose who _not_ to work with.

Tossing the list aside, Alec straightened up under everyone's gaze.

Alec gestured to the board, where a picture of a young man, decked head to toe in black, was. “We know that this guy worked for Asmodeous because when he was murdered it went down in the books that he worked for an independent company by the name of 'Edom'. According to Meliorn, that's the name, the red flag. He said anything with that name or any deviation of it was under Asmodeous's jurisdiction.”

Nodding to Ragnor, Alec dropped down to sit beside Izzy.

Ragnor took the 'stage', standing in front of the group with a folder in hand. “Okay”, he began. “So, we already know the basics of Asmodeous; a son, a wife, adopted after his parents died so no bio parents to find. Married in 1981, back in Indonesia. Moved to America in 1990. First child born in 1992, currently 25 years old. Divorced from his wife in 1993, Magnus is a year old. Although I doubt we need to be updated too much on Magnus.”

Alec shared a look of amusement with Catarina. “Yeah, I think we're covered on that front”, he laughed.

Ragnor nodded. “Okay. Well... mother died 28th July 2005 in Brooklyn. Found hanging from their Brooklyn apartment. Suicide.”

Alec winced slightly, looking down at his hands nervously to avoid looking at the image Ragnor pinned up; a shot of a young tanned woman, her arms wrapped firmly around a young Asian boy, one hand ruffling his thick black hair.

“That guy”, he said once more, nodding to previous man dressed in black. “He was in Brooklyn that day. Asmodeous tends to work primarily in New York so it’s no surprise but the ex-wife didn't live in New York, she lived in Washington. Bit of a long way to travel for Ms Bane, especially without her son.”

Everyone watched Ragnor with rapt interest as the Brit paced the room. “A 13-year-old Magnus gets taken to school that morning while mother dear takes a flight across to New York. Magnus never gets picked up. Ms Bane goes quiet at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, stops answering calls. This guy is spotted around the area at the time that Ms Bane's body is found.”

“Wait”, Jace piped up, sitting forward on the sofa. “Are you saying that this guy works for Asmodeous? So, he killed his own ex-wife?”

Ragnor shrugged. “No idea. All we know is that Magnus never gets picked up from school. Magnus' father wasn't even around at the time, Asmodeous and his mother had been divorced for 12 years, but Magnus' stepfather doesn't pick him up from school either; kid gets put into the foster care system and that's all we know from that front.”

Alec looked down at his hands for a moment, thinking back to one of his many memories with Magnus from their road trip together just months ago. Thinking back to an early conversation with his boyfriend, he winced.

“Wait a second”, Alec said suddenly. “Back when we first got together, Magnus told me that his mother committed suicide after he came out to her, and that his fat- stepfather tried to kill him after. He was put into foster care after that.”

Ragnor shrugged helplessly. “His stepfather never picked him up from school, he must have attacked Magnus after that.”

Alec shook his head in confusion, sighing. “This makes no sense”, he groaned quietly. “His mother travelled to New York just to kill herself over her son being bi? And how come it’s not on record that Magnus was attacked?”

Izzy seemed to agree with Alec, for her forehead scrunched adorably in her confusion. “Alec has a point. Sounds like there's more to that story than what's on the board.”

“Was he left with anything?” Simon enquired patiently.

Alec looked across at the brunet, raising an eyebrow. “What'd you mean?”

“I mean when he was left at school; did Magnus get left with anything?”

Alec settled into his chair, thoughtful. He looked across at Ragnor, where he was perched on the arm of the chair Luke was occupying. “Is there any way we could find out? Maybe what this guy wants... his mom or stepdad left with him.”

Luke shrugged. “We could contact the school but I doubt they'd have a record. Or even remember the kid.”

Alec shook his head vehemently. “No, my bet is that they remember Magnus perfectly. It’s not often that kids get abandoned at school and never picked up.”

“It was when he was 13. That was 12 years ago, Alec”, Izzy said softly.

Jace sat forward, shaking his head. “He's got a point though, Iz. Kids don’t get left at school often.”

Looking across at Raphael, Alec noticed his silence. He was looking down at the fabric between his fingers where he grasped the felt of his blazer.

“Something wrong, Raph?”

Raphael looked up at his best friend with a furrowed brow and an unsure look on his face. “I'm just trying to remember if Magnus had anything sentimental when he was young but I'm pretty sure he didn't. I just- I can't remember.”

Alec sighed. “All we've got is the ring me and Iz found but that's just a basic ring. I doubt that's what a crime lord or mob boss is killing people for.”

“Okay”, Izzy sighed loudly, standing up and drawing the attention of the room. “Our best bet is to wait until we have Magnus back and he can help us navigate all this stuff. Before then, we really need to hash out our plan for the money.”

Alec nodded solemnly. “Izzy's right”, he agreed. Casting a glance around the room confirmed that everyone was on the same page.

“Are we contacting anyone from Magnus' list? He said they were all working in different industries he thought could help, right?” Simon asked excitedly. “Are we adding more people to the team?”

Raphael gently rested a hand on his boyfriend's arm. “Calm down, amigo.”

Alec shrugged, ignoring Simon's excitement. “I don’t want to know how he made all those friends.”

Izzy giggled. “Didn't those stars tell you how?”

“Very clearly”, Alec groaned, turning away from his sister as she chuckled. “I'm going to get on that, maybe start contacting some people I think can help.”

Looking across at Luke, Alec stood. “Luke, we might need these people to have contact with Magnus. They might need some convincing, maybe even just assurance that its him. Is there any way we can get a phone to him?”

Graham was the one to answer. “Not without getting caught. The only person who can have unlimited calls to Magnus at this point is a lawyer.”

Alec shrugged, taking the list from the table and heading towards Magnus' bedroom. “I guess I'm his new lawyer then”, he called over his shoulder.

 

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

 

“Alec seems a little reluctant to talk to anyone with a star by their name, but besides that its going pretty well.”

Magnus chuckled, shaking his head fondly. “I expected nothing different from him. He's the jealous type.”

Luke smirked and nodded. “At least we're getting somewhere. The only problem is on this Asmodeous guy; we have what the police have on him but if he's working or previously worked for someone powerful then what the police have is not enough.”

Magnus nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, but we'll get there. Alec's still talking to that Meliorn guy, right?”

Settling back into his chair, Luke shrugged. “He said he was, but he refuses to let anyone meet the guy. Well, except Clary, Izzy and Jace but that was an accident.”

“Ah yes”, Magnus chuckled. “The infamous night of the boutique heist.”

Luke smirked. “That didn't happen”, he added with a grin.

Magnus snorted, pulling experimentally at his chains despite knowing they wouldn't waver. “You know Luke...”, he paused, looking up at the police officer with a fond smile. “I like you. I need someone even remotely sane around to keep me entertained.”

“Pack isn't sane?” Luke asked, grinning.

“Of course not”, Magnus said dismissively. Pausing for a moment, Magnus looked lost in thought. He turned towards Luke to speak. “Tell Alec to call a girl on the list. One of the people without a star”, he said pointedly, ignoring Luke's laugh at his words.

“Who is she?”

Magnus grinned. “She's a badass, but more specifically she's good with computers, all sorts of software. She used to work for a private firm, hired by state prisons to test their security measures; she's dealt with some of the toughest software in the country. She can hack anything and everything and... I think I've got a plan.”

Luke nodded. “Simon won’t be pleased that he'll be replaced as the resident nerd.”

“He'll get used to it”, Magnus chortled. “Hell, maybe he could learn something from her.”

“What's her name?”

“Her name's Maia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello, my lovelies! What did you guys think?
> 
> I will admit this was a little shorter than I'd hope and I know its a little mismatched of a chapter but thats primarily because the group themselves are a little unsure of how to move forward right now. With Magnus' plan starting to come together, the group will be returning to a familiar town to get the money they need to save Magnus but as of right now, they're as confused as I am now that Shadowhunters is finished (honestly... what do I do now?)
> 
> Anyway, so I hope you enjoyed! Be sure to let me know in the comments section down below, good, bad or ugly. 
> 
> Until next wednesday! <3


	7. Only Darkness Every Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group finally have a plan for how to get the money to save Magnus and it's time to finally put it into action. Catarina is worried, Raphael is jealous and Alec finally visits Magnus again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about not posting yesterday guys but the AO3 update interfered with that and I now that it's a late upload tonight (for Europe) and so I'm sorry again if you're already asleep and have to wait until tomorrow. 
> 
> I've decided these chapters are now going to be posted on a SATURDAY! With school back up and so many hectic changes in my life I want to give myself the time to post these chapters and not have a repeat of this week where I run out of time to do it. I hope that's okay with everyone and more importantly... I hope you enjoy this chapter! <3
> 
> There's some very rare POVs in this chapter so... let me know if you enjoy seeing other people's perspectives.
> 
> WARNINGS: Mentions of illegal activity

 

 

The woman sitting in front of him was admittedly not what Alec had expected when Luke informed him of Magnus's recommendation. She was short, with voluminous curled hair and dark skin. She had a laid-back but confident demeanour about her; from the style of her clothes down to the way she sat in her chair, coffee cup swinging carefully in her hands. Her face seemed to sit naturally in a frown but her eyes sparkled with amusement as she gently put her cup down and crossed her arms, settling back in her chair and looking Alec over.

“Thank you for meeting me”, Alec finally said, shifting uncomfortably under her strong gaze.

Maia nodded slowly. “So, you're Magnus's boyfriend?”

Alec bit his lip nervously, watching the way her eyes panned him slowly. He suspected she approved.

“That's me”, he chuckled awkwardly.

Maia took a deep breath, uncrossing her arms and sitting forwards in her chair. She gently grasped her coffee cup, looking into Alec's eyes. “Look, Alec. Magnus is a friend of mine and I want to help but... from what you told me on the phone this sounds kind of crazy.”

“Tell me about it”, Alec smirked. “Look... I know how insane this must sound but it really is happening. I just want to get him away from this stuff.”

Maia sighed, looking away from Alec. “I really don’t know how much I can help.”

“Magnus says you're a pro at computers. Any software, he said. That true?”

The brunette looked at Alec with a look that was clearly meant to challenge him. She smirked proudly before nodding. “The best.”

“Then we could really use your help. Magnus has a plan and we're gonna need someone to help us do this completely unnoticed.”

Maia took a small sip of her drink, sloshing the liquid about in her mouth as she stared at Alec thoughtfully. “Okay”, she finally relented. “I'll help but... you'll have to provide the gear.”

Alec frowned slightly, leaning back in his chair. “I'll see what I can do.”

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

“I can get you what I suspect you'll need”, Meliorn agreed.

They were currently walking down the path they had met, crossing through the park. Alec made a point of ignoring the stares they received from frantic and panicked mothers; two men dressed head to toe in dark clothes, talking in hushed voices under their breath was hardly a sight often seen in children's parks.

“I appreciate it”, Alec said gratefully, voice slightly breathy.

Meliorn acknowledged his thanks with a simple nod. “It won’t be easy and I will need some of the money you get to cover my back, but getting some basic equipment shouldn't be too hard. You have your contacts and I have mine.”

Alec watched Meliorn out of the corner of his eye sceptically. “I can still trust you, right?”

Meliorn turned to Alec, his eyes showing offence. He took a breath before talking. “You can trust me, as much as I trust you.”

Trying not to groan at Meliorn's typical riddles, Alec nodded. The pair continued their walk through the park, exiting on the other side.

“I just need to know”, Alec began hesitantly. “Do you know who it is after Magnus? Not what they're after but... who it is?”

Meliorn looked at their surroundings thoughtfully as he came to a gradual stop, turning to face Alec directly. “There were a lot of people that Asmodeous worked with and for. As such, it could be any number of people. I was fired a few years back and haven't heard from him since; he could have made countless enemies since then.”

Taking that as answer enough, Alec nodded. “Okay.”

“As I have said, Alec Lightwood... my business is a difficult one to discuss. I'm sure when we find him, Asmodeous will be happy to tell you all of the details but as of right now, your best bet is simply finding him and going from there. I will gladly help you get to that point but beyond that I doubt I will be much help.”

Alec continued to walk, allowing a comfortable silence to settle over them. He grimaced slightly; every time things started to make sense, life grew just a little more complicated.

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

“We'll do it in a few days. Meliorn's delivering what we need tonight so...”

Magnus nodded but from the look on his face it was clear he wasn't listening to a word. His eyes were glazed over slightly and his leg bounced endlessly. He was fiddling with his hands, despite them being cuffed to the table, and his lip was being chewed excessively.

“Magnus, I need you to listen to me.”

Magnus's eyes darkened slightly and he licked his lips slowly. “Do excuse me if seeing you is distracting me somewhat.”

Alec ducked his head, blushing. The heavy weight of Magnus's predatory gaze was starting to heat up his cheeks and Alec couldn't bare the embarrassment of falling prey to Magnus's charms with Luke in the room.

“I haven't seen you in almost two weeks, Alexander. Let me just.... bask in this for a moment”, Magnus sighed passionately, resting his head on his hand.

Alec smiled bashfully, a grin breaking out. “I've been here for 20 minutes already, Mags. You've had your chance to... bask in the moment.”

“Give me just a couple more minutes”, Magnus insisted.

Alec looked up, meeting his boyfriend's eye. Almost immediately he had to look away; the heat and pure, unadulterated want in them was a little overwhelming.

“I missed you too, Mags”, Alec laughed lightly.

Luke looked between the two, growing slightly uncomfortable yet simultaneously amused by Alec's behaviour. “Magnus”, he interrupted. “It's important you listen to what Alec here is trying to say.”

“Oh, trust me”, Magnus replied, his eyes never straying from his boyfriend. “Alexander has my _full_ attention.”

Alec's breath faltered slightly as he noticeably shivered. Magnus smirked, pleased at the effect he had on Alec.

“Maia has agreed to help”, Alec stuttered uselessly, his cheeks red hot. “So, er... we have someone to make sure this happens under the radar. Besides that, me, Jace, Raphael, Ragnor and Cat are gonna be doing the hustling. Izzy and Clary will act as bait and Simon's gonna be assisting Maia. We'll go from there. The girls will probably end up being the distractions, standing around in case anyone picks up on what we're doing while we take what we need and go.”

Magnus hummed approvingly. “I've gotta say, Alexander; the whole criminal thing is really starting to look good on you. I totally understand that Britney Spears song now.”

“Magnus”, Alec sighed, shaking his head. “I'm trying so hard here to do as few shady, terrible things as possible. I just- I don’t want to be someone I'm not when you get out of here.”

The silence that settled around them was heavy and Magnus looked almost devastated. “Look, Alec; no matter what, I love you and nothing you do will change that. I admire that you're trying to make this as harmless to anyone as possible.”

“But we're still conning and cheating people out of their money, Magnus.”

Magnus noted the look of distress taking over Alec's features and reached as far forward to graze Alec's hand as possible. “First, it happens every day and... it’s better than outright stealing from people. People go to Vegas to bet away their money, they're aware that they might walk away empty-handed. You're just ensuring that _you_ don't.”

Alec looked down at their joined hands and took a deep breath, quickly blinking furiously to prevent any tears. “Just promise me that you won’t think differently of me.”

“Baby”, Magnus said firmly but somehow also tenderly. “I've done far worse”, he laughed. “I will never look at you with anything other than adoration and pride.”

Alec nodded slowly, his smile widening and his eyes softening. God, he loved this man.

Alec looked to Luke pleadingly. Luke chuckled slightly before leaning forward and into Magnus' line of sight.

Magnus seemed surprised, as though he had truly tuned out everything else around him and was suddenly being woken up from a dream. He glared slightly at Luke when he blocked his line of sight to Alec. “What?”

“Before we do this we must be prepared for what happens when you get out”, Luke began. He sat back slightly, allowing Magnus to see Alec, hoping that having broken the spell Alec had over Magnus would be enough.

Magnus looked back at Alec but this time didn't seem to _only_ see Alec. “Okay... hit me.”

Alec grinned slightly, meeting Magnus's eyes. For a moment, he was slightly overwhelmed by the fondness he saw in them.

“It's just that... if this guy is watching you then they'll know when we get you out. To keep this as safe as possible, we're going to try and sneak you as best we can without drawing too much attention from the station”, Alec said.

Magnus nodded thoughtfully. “Okay. Then what?”

“Then we go back to your loft”, Alec began, only to get cut off by Magnus's voice.

“-That's a good point, actually”, Magnus said cheerfully. “You've all been staying there?”

Despite the fact it was probably more of a rhetorical question, Alec nodded.

Magnus beamed. “Where have you been sleeping Alexander?”

Alec bit his lip nervously but refused to look away from his boyfriend. He shrugged, attempting to be as nonchalant as possible. “In our bed”, he said, blushing furiously. “With Jace.”

Alec watched, amused, as Magnus recoiled slightly. “Ew”, he said simply, shaking his head to no doubt dispel some disinteresting images. “Wash the sheets before I get home.”

“Promise”, Alec chuckled. “But why do you ask?”

“Besides the satisfaction of knowing my bed will smell like you when I get back”, he paused to grin wolfishly at Alec. “I just wanted to see if you'd call it _our_ bed.”

Alec's eyebrows drew together suddenly. “I-I didn't”, he stuttered defensively.

Magnus chortled. “Yes, baby. You did.”

“No, I-” Alec turned to Luke, his words stuttering to a halt when he saw Luke's devious smirk. Shaking his head, Alec felt his blush deepen- if that were even possible. “Okay, whatever. This isn't important.”

“No”, Luke agreed. “It's not. What is important is that this is going down soon. Tomorrow if possible, Magnus.”

Magnus nodded thoughtfully. “I'll pack my bags then”, he said sarcastically.

 

 

 

 

…..

 

 

 

 

“If he doesn't move away from the screen I'll kill him”, Maia said threateningly. Although Alec sincerely hoped she was joking, he pulled his brother away from the tech genius before he could annoy her further.

“Thank you”, Maia sighed gratefully.

After having been delivered a literal car full of equipment from Meliorn – who still refused to meet the rest of the group – Alec had called Maia over. She had insisted that if they wanted to get everything rolling by tomorrow, she needed at least a day to familiarize herself with the equipment, which Alec was more than happy to give her.

“It looks cool”, Simon said dreamily as he pulled his chair closer to Maia. He began to fiddle with a small earpiece, his eyes wondering in awe over the array of small cameras and cleverly disguised devices. He even paused to look at the occasional weapon in wonder.

Sensing his proximity, Maia sent him a deadly glare which triggered Simon to slowly push his chair back. “Could you teach me how to use this?”

Maia looked Simon over thoughtfully, as though decided whether to waste her time on him or not. To Alec's – and presumably everyone's – surprise, she nodded slowly.

“But pay attention”, she warned. “Because I'll only ever say anything once.”

 

 

 

 

…..

 

 

 

 

Cat wasn’t one to be nosy or eavesdrop on people, she really wasn’t. But with everyone living in her and Magnus’s little apartment, it soon became impossible to not catch the occasional juicy gossip or quietly hissed arguments. She found it oddly amusing that Alec and Jace so often bickered, arguing over the most basic of things.

In truth, Catarina had grown to have a soft spot for Alec Lightwood. During their road trip, with Magnus stealing her RV to drive as an excuse to be around Alec, Cat hadn’t spent much time with the eldest Lightwood. Since Magnus’ arrest over 2 weeks ago, she had noticed that both of them had unconsciously gravitated towards each other for comfort.

At first it surprised her that it wasn’t Raphael that Alec grew closer to but she suspected that was mainly because it wasn’t really possible for the best friends to get any closer. She even briefly contemplated Ragnor and Alec but decided that Ragnor was just too antisocial for Alec; and that was saying something because the boy was one of the most awkward human beings Catarina Loss had ever met.

Despite that, Alec seemed to truly connect at a deeply emotional level with one of Cat’s best friends. Magnus was the polar opposite of Alec in every way; confident, cocky, social, charismatic, and sassy. If Magnus were the light then Alec would without a doubt be darkness.

They were startlingly different in every way and yet something within them had recognised something worth fighting for in the other.

Cat had to admit that Alec’s dedication to getting Magnus out and safe had been a real encouragement for her. Considering that the pair had not even know each other for more than 6 months, it was shocking to think that they had grown so genuinely dependent on one another so quickly.

And it wasn’t even dependency in an unhealthy way; Cat knew that both man could survive without the other. But they didn’t _want_ to.

Part of her was even envious but she pushed such thoughts aside, instead basking in the happiness she felt for one of her oldest friends.

In the end she settled for simply being grateful for the development as she and Alec seemed to find some sort of unspoken comfort in one another

In contrast, Alec and Jace’s relationship was both similar and completely different to that of Magnus and Alec. Besides the obvious, Jace and Magnus had very similar personalities and as such, had similar bonds with Alec. It seemed that Alec was the human equivalent of “opposites attract” for it seemed that everyone he loved besides Raphael was shockingly confident and outgoing where he was insecure and introverted.

Alec and Jace had a friendship that no one truly understood the true depth of. Living in a confined space meant that everyone had been adequately exposed to it, but that didn’t mean that any of them truly understood the relationship any more than Alec or Jace did themselves.

It wasn’t uncommon, when wondering the halls, for Cat to catch the tail end of an argument or friendly conversation between the boys. Sometimes it was both simultaneously and sometimes it was simply silence.

When it was silent, Cat, being the overprotective mother of the group that she was, had always felt obliged to check on the pair for fear that they might have finally murdered each other. To her surprise however, whenever the pair were quiet before 11o’clock they were always found snuggling away, Jace’s snores shaking the bed and Alec’s content humming filling the room.

Cat considered asking Magnus if Alec hummed in his sleep all the time. It was sweet.

But the sounds of happiness that filled Magnus Bane’s bedroom were not always enough to mask those of terror.

Sometimes, much to her distress, the sounds that came from Magnus’ room could be described as nothing other than screams. With her room so close to Magnus’ she suspected that she was perhaps the only one to hear Alec’s screaming and whimpering in the night besides Jace. She wasn’t blind to how previous events had effected Alec and how everything that was happening was only adding fuel to an already hungry fire inside his mind, but besides hovering outside his room listening to Jace’s whispered praises and promises, there wasn’t much Cat could do.

As a result, she felt useless and like a terrible friend. Not only to Alec, but to Magnus. She knew that Magnus had great faith in her and when he was gone, she felt worthless for being unable to help the man he loved so dearly.

She just hoped – and deep down, knew – that Jace was doing a good enough job for the two of them.

In response to her fears for Alec, Catarina had admittedly begun to listen out for the boy, even pointedly walking down the hall unnecessarily to ensure that the only sounds filling the room at night were Jace’s snorts and Alec’s peaceful hums.

She also noticed that Jace had become to gravitate towards his brother more regularly now, often heading to bed at the same time as Alec no matter the hour so as to ensure his brother fell asleep in someone’s protective embrace and wasn’t left at the mercy of his own thoughts without support.

So, it was a surprise for Cat to walk passed Magnus’ room one night to hear only Alec’s voice. It was clear he was talking to someone but Catarina knew that if it were Jace, she would have definitely heard his voice by now.

In fact, Alec seemed to be having a conversation with himself.

Pausing outside the door, Cat peered in curiously.

Alec was lounging on his back across Magnus’ silk sheets, his feet on the bed, knees bent. It was clear even from far away that the man was blushing deeply, even playing with a strand of his hand as he grinned.

Cat spared a thought for the fact that Alec was wearing a pair of pyjamas that Cat distinctly remembered buying Magnus for Christmas a year or two ago.

“You can’t say stuff like that, Mags. I think the LAPD are aware you wouldn’t talk to your lawyer like that”, Alec huffed, his tone laced with affection.

Cat rolled her eyes, unsurprised that Alec was having to scold his boyfriend. Magnus never changed.

“Yes”, Alec giggled.

Cat grinned at the sound; Alec Lightwood had just _giggled._

“It doesn’t matter”, Alec sighed somewhat dreamily. “There’s cameras all over that police station so at least try to make it seem like your talking to someone who you have a strictly professional relationship with.”

Whatever Magnus said on the other end of the phone made Alec’s eyes widen and his blush deepen.

“O-Okay”, Alec stuttered slightly. “There’s no way you’d say _that_ to a lawyer.”

For a moment, Alec remained silent. He was obviously enjoying whatever Magnus said for his grin widened and he eventually burst into laughter.

“God, I can’t wait to hug you”, Alec sighed. “It sounds stupid but I really miss hugging you.”

Cat almost felt bad for intruding on such a private moment.

Her hesitation to continue listening only heightened when Alec blushed once more.

“Yeah, and that too”, he said quietly. “I just miss you.”

Catarina watched Alec with ill-contained pity and was reminded of the fact that Alec had gone through a lot recently and had really needed Magnus around for comfort. Having his boyfriend dragged away so soon after everything happened had definitely left a mark on Alec and everyone could tell he had grown slightly more distant and arguably more reckless.

His acceptance of their plan to break the law – commit a crime – was enough proof of that.

But in moments like these, when despite everything crumbling apart around them Magnus was able to be there for Alec, Cat felt content. Truly content.

Just like when he had returned home the day before after visiting Magnus for the first time in weeks, Alec’s smile was radiant and his eyes were filled with longing.

“No, me neither. I’ve- I’ve never felt anything like this before in my life and I- I just really need you to come home.”

Alec’s voice had grown slightly shaky and Cat fought the urge to run into the room and cradle him in her arms.

“I know”, Alec sniffled after a moment, wiping his eyes. “I know. I just can’t wait for all of this to be over. I really- I really miss just lying in bed with you and pretending that the world doesn’t exist.”

Cat could only imagine what cheesy but equally romantic response Magnus had given.

Taking a deep breath, Catarina pulled herself away from the door. Alec deserved his privacy, as did Magnus.

With a content smile, she began to walk back to her room, grinning slightly when she heard Alec’s shy giggle fill the loft for a brief moment before he sighed deeply and teasingly berated his boyfriend.

Cat headed to bed with a smile that night, despite the feeling of dread looming over her.

 

 

 

…..

 

 

 

“Y'know”, Raphael sighed after the silence grew too boring. “I'm feeling a little left out here.”

The people around him slowly looked up and once again reminded Raphael of how little he had to do with this operation.

Simon and Maia were huddled around a collection of computer screens; one of which now had a colourful array of detailed diagrams and what looked like a literal DJ booth's worth of audio software displayed on the screen. They were growing surprisingly close, what with having worked together for almost 6 hours straight with little more than typing in silence to be done.

Raphael wasn't jealous. He wasn't.

Jace and Alec looked up from across the room where they were bent over a table, conversing with Izzy and Clary about their game plan; what they needed the girls to say, who they would pretend to be, what they planned to do if someone figured it out. Jace was mindlessly fiddling with a small knife courtesy of Meliorn but had stopped when Raphael had shouted out.

Across the room, Catarina and Ragnor were conversing rather carefree. After Cat had arrived home from work that day, having to cover Magnus' dance classes, she had immediately collapsed into a chair before being joined by the Brit. Had Raphael not known any better he would suspect they were doing nothing of importance but from wandering over there earlier he knew the pair were going over the information they had on Asmodeous and attempting to build a timeline from what little additional information Luke occasionally gave them.

Overall, the room looking back at him expectantly reminded Raphael that he was ultimately useless; he hadn't been given a proper role in the trip that would save his brother's life. Sure, he was going to be helping the team in the con but... he felt like a spare part. And for that, he was, admittedly, a little testy.

Alec sighed deeply from where he was but from the look in his eyes he felt regret. He nodded towards the table the Lightwoods and Clary surrounded with a smile.

“Come join us, Raph. We might an extra set of hands; Izzy is heading off to work anyway.”

Raphael looked at his best friend gratefully, standing in his seat to join the group. Izzy nodded in agreement, looking far from pleased.

“I swear”, she groaned. “If I have to explain to Mrs Owana _one more time_ why Magnus isn't back yet I might actually scream. And she keeps getting annoyed since now there's only ever one of us instructors there.”

With everything that had been going on, sometimes Raphael forgot that Izzy and Cat still worked. Him and Alec had been able to get away with still going to work without any issues, considering it was a bar and it was easy enough to convince Sasha and Barry to work during the day if the guys agreed to close at night. But for Izzy and Cat it wasn't so easy; they eventually had to agree that they were simply combine all their groups and take a shift at a time, regardless of what classes they therefore ended up with.

Looking around him, Raphael sometimes forgot that they all had lives outside of this. They had jobs.

Well, everyone but Jace and Clary did because as much as Jace liked to pretend he got that modelling gig they all knew he didn't. And honestly, being the person that he was, Raphael just couldn't accept that being a freelance artist was Clary's full-time job.

Alec snorted. “That woman is creepy, I'm gonna be honest.”

“Yeah”, Izzy agreed as she slipped a hoodie on over her vest top. “She keeps asking about you actually.”

Alec cringed noticeably. “Tell her I'm dead or something.”

Izzy giggled as she leant forward to delicately kiss Clary's cheek before waving them all goodbye as she fled the apartment.

Raphael couldn't help it; his eyes darted to Jace. He was almost disappointed when Jace didn't react to the kiss at all, instead turning back to the page in front of him with interest.

“So, me, Alec, Cat and Ragnor– oh, and Raphael – will go around individually to start off with. We don’t want people to see us together so we'll hit as many as we can independently before all coming together and working as a team. We're already agreed that two of us can have Clary or Izzy with us, to make it a little more authentic. They can act as sexy distractions should someone act up.”

Raphael winced slightly; even though it wasn’t, it felt like a lot of information to absorb. He sighed after a moment, attempting to calm himself down slightly. It's just gambling. They'd all done it before and it’s not like Raphael wasn't any good at it.

Alec grinned. He looked over Raphael's head for a moment at the rest of the room. “Simon and Maia will act as our insurance. We'll have earpieces of some sort and the girls can have a camera or two. That way we always have our eye on the opponent and we'll never be able to lose too hard. That and cameras.”

The room echoed positively and Raphael watched as Alec's shoulders settled in relief.

“How are we working through that? I mean, casinos are packed with security,” Clary piped up.

Alec shrugged, looking across at Maia helplessly.

Maia grinned widely at the group. “Casinos in Vegas are the real deal, they have security software that's ridiculously complex. It won’t be possible for me to disable them or permanently alter what they're seeing. What I can do is this”, Maia rose to join them, depositing the computer onto the table they surrounded with a smirk.

“I've managed to figure out a way to copy 4 minutes’ worth of security footage so when you guys are doing your thing, I can replay that basic shot to cameras. Now I'll have to capture those 4 minutes of footage live, because we can’t just have you guys disappear from the footage if I used pre-recorded shots when I reroute the video so for the first 4 minutes _minimum_ of each play, you'll have to do it naturally. After that, I'll have footage and you guys can be as slick and as con-man as you want and as long as who you're playing doesn't notice I can make sure security doesn't either.”

Everyone nodded, pleased.

“Only problem is”, Maia began, her smile fading. “When I re-loop the footage to replay another 4 minutes, it’s likely that the clip will jump. That might mean that for even a second, the camera's will cut back to the live feed before the recording starts again. So, every 4 minutes you'll just have to make sure that you're not doing anything when the time runs out or the cameras will catch it.”

Alec sighed, the tension returning to his shoulders. “Okay. We can do that.  And Simon can keep us updated on camera angles, and that way we can avoid as much exposure to the camera as possible.”

Jace nodded vigorously in agreement.

“Okay then”, Maia said cheerfully. “We're pretty much good to go then. When do you wanna do this?”

Alec looked at the people around him for a moment, truly contemplating if he thought they were ready. Realistically, besides doing a test run which was impossible, they were as ready as they would ever be, but the idea of putting anyone of these people at risk was daunting to him. Even Magnus's friends – Ragnor, Cat and even Maia – had stolen a little place in Alec's chest and his big brother protective streak made him reluctant to risk any of them.

But he knew, looking around that room, that he couldn't deal with the empty space where Magnus should be any longer.

Taking a deep breath, Alec looked Maia square in the eyes. “We're doing this tomorrow. Then we're getting Magnus out of there.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super excited for next chapter now because it's sort of going to be like a COMM road trip part 2 but this time doing illegal stuff.... weird. 
> 
> ANYWAY! Let me know down below what you think guys! Your responses are so important to me and really help me decide which route the story goes down (actually a comment on COMM actually convinced me to change a major point in that story) and i really do take into account what you want to see so let me know what you thought and if you enjoyed it!
> 
> Thanks for reading <3


	8. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything crumbles around Alec as he is forced to do the unthinkable - the one thing he though he would never do - to save Magnus. Betray Magnus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys... I'm going to try not to rant and keep this short but dammit AO3! It only posted half of the chapter when I first uploaded and then my internet crashed (dammit internet!) so like an hour later I'm able to fix the problem. Sorry to anyone who lost their comment on the original update (karo323). Again.. sorry xx 
> 
> SO SORRY TO ANYONE WHO NOW HAS TO SCROLL DOWN TO WHERE THEY WERE CUT OFF <3  
> (this briefly got split into two chapters because of the hassle AO3 gave me but its now officially fized and back to 1 chapter... sorry for any confusion, it confused the hell out of me too)  
>  
> 
> Okay... moving on. 
> 
> First of all, this chapter is the first in this sequel so far to not have a name from the song Aint no Sunshine which is kinda sad but... I ran out of lyrics XD
> 
> Secondly, I know NOTHING about gambling or poker. Or Vegas. Or the bail system in America. So, while i tried to make it accurate it may also be completely wrong but for now, lets all suspend belief and just pretend that this is how it all works. Okay?
> 
> Thirdly, the contact lenses idea used in this chapter is originally from Torchwood so all credit to them. I just thought it was cool :D
> 
> Finally, this chapter is kind of DARK. Not as dark as COMM could sometimes get but just be aware going in that there is some not-so-nice moments for Alec this chapter. 
> 
> ANYWAY, ENJOY!
> 
> WARNINGS: scenes of a sexual nature (Alec/OC, Alec/Magnus), potential dubcon (ALec/OC), gambling and illegal activity

 

 

* * *

  
 

Alec couldn’t believe that this was happening.

Someone was touching him in a way that only Magnus had touched him before.

The nausea almost overwhelmed him when foreign hands traced down the sides of his body, gripping and pulling him against a firm chest.

Alec did his best to avoid the man’s lips, baring his neck in a last-ditch effort to escape this man’s affections.

He could only blame himself. He had come up here, willingly. He had decided that the best thing to do was to follow this man upstairs and let the man distract himself with Alec’s body. Alec knew it wasn’t as simple as cheating; what he was doing may not have held the same implications as willingly sleeping with someone else, but he was still allowing another man to touch him and kiss the skin that Magnus so openly worshiped.

Magnus. 

Magnus would no doubt be devastated.

But he didn’t have to know.

Alec cringed, pushing the man away slightly in an attempt to distract him with something other than his skin.

“How about a drink?” he asked, in as steady of a voice as he could. 

The man’s eyes lit up wildly and he nodded. Before turning to the drinks stored on the countertop of his hotel room, he leant forward, pressing Alec up against the wall.

Alec shudder in disgust but sent the man a look that he hoped was seductive.

The man pressed his lips to Alec’s ear, blowing air across it. “You are so beautiful”, he sighed deeply. “I cannot wait to make you mine.”

Alec pinched his eye shut, forcing down his tears. This was not how he had intended to get the money to save Magnus, but if this was what he needed to do, he would do it.

He would do  **anything**  for Magnus.

 

 

 

 

 

_14 hours earlier_

“When do I ever  _not_ worry for you?” Izzy snorted derivatively as she nudged Alec’s shoulder.

Alec chuckled softly and shook his head fondly. “Good point.”

“I mean it though, Alec.”

“I know. And I promise that I’m okay”, Alec insisted.

Izzy frowned, looking her brother over.

The pair of them were lounging on Magnus’ bed the morning of the Vegas heist. After calling their receptionist, Tessa, to inform the parents of their students that dance was cancelled for the weekend, Izzy had headed into her brother’s room.

Well… Magnus’ room technically.

Izzy liked to pride herself on how well she knew her brother and she had been proven correct once again. Confident that Alec was restless about their approaching task, Izzy had been convinced that her brother had likely gotten no sleep last night. She was proven sadly correct when she walked into Magnus’ room and immediately spotted the dark circles under his eyes.

Encouraging Jace to go for a morning jog, Izzy had decided that after 2 weeks and with more trouble fast approaching, she could no longer sit back and not talk to her brother.

“Please talk to me”, Izzy sighed, feeling pathetic when her voice came out shaky and uneven.

Alec turned to look at her. Both of them laid on the bed, laying on their backs but looking across at each other. Izzy was watching her big brother closely whereas Alec was simply gazing in surprise at his little sister.

“About what?” he asked softly, clearly moved by her emotion.

Izzy shrugged, looking away from him and up at the ceiling. “A couple of weeks ago you were finally starting to open up about what happened with Camille and then Magnus got arrested. Then you fainted and got upset and yet… you haven’t spoken about it since. You haven’t gotten angry or sad or anything and I just… I’m worried that it’s all going to build up until it explodes. And not the fun kind of explode.”

Alec sighed softly. Resting his hands against his chest, he began to nervously play with the fabric of Magnus’ shirt.

“I don’t know what to say anymore, Iz.”

Izzy’s heart shattered slightly at that. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I don’t know how to vocalise what’s going on in my head right now”, he began. “I feel so… angry and heartbroken at the same time and I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to be both angry and sad at the same time but it’s very exhausting.”

Izzy pointedly ignored the sound of people moving about outside, turning on her side to completely face Alec. “Why are you angry?”

Alec bit his lip hesitantly. “I’m not angry at Camille if that’s what you think. I’m not even angry at the people after Magnus. I’m just- If there’s even a God out there then I guess I’m angry with him.”

“You’re angry with God?”

Alec smirked at how ludicrous it sounded when she said it. “Yes and No.”

Izzy’s eyebrows furrowed as she observed her brother. “Explain.”

“You know I’m not religious but I just- I guess I’m projecting”, Alec said with a hint of frustration. He straightened out his shirt before turning to face his sister properly, his arms tucked under his head. “I’m just so angry because for once I thought that life might finally start to improve and then it all just crumbled again.”

“Oh, Alec.”

“And I guess as a result… I’m also heartbroken because for even a moment I thought that things would work out and me and Magnus could-” he stopped for a moment and Izzy suspected it was from choking on his own tears. “Me and Magnus could be  _happy._ ”

Izzy’s lip quivered slightly as she observed her moist her brother’s eyes had become. She shifted forward to settle against his side, tucking her head into his neck and wrapping her arms around him for comfort. From the sigh he released, he seemed grateful for the gesture.

“I promise you  _hermano_ , you and Magnus  _will_  be happy one day. Even if it kills me.”

 

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

_12 hours earlier_

“Sometimes I wake up in tears. If he wakes up, Jace normally holds me, but… it’s not the same.”

Magnus winced slightly, settling back in his chair and watching Alexander warily. He hadn’t been blind to Alec’s steady decline over the last few weeks; from his endless distress over which path to take, to his sorrow at not being around Magnus, it wasn’t at all shocking to the elder that Alec was starting to crumble.

No doubt the weight of all of this, of leading this misguided group of misfits, was starting to weight down on him.

“Alexander”, Magnus gasped painfully, reaching as far forward as possible. With the way Alec was hugging himself nervously, Magnus was unable to reach out and take his hand but he sent as genuine a smile as he could muster.

It didn’t seem to help all that much.

“Why haven’t you spoken to anyone?”

Alec sighed, shrugging. “I spoke to Izzy a little this morning and sometimes Jace ends up forcing me to spill the beans when I wake him up but I just… I don’t know. We have so much going on right now and I just can’t waste time thinking about me. There isn’t enough time right now.

Magnus shook his head fiercely. “There will  _always_ be time for you, Alexander. And if there isn’t, then we make time.”

“Not today, we won’t”, Alec grumbled, clearly annoyed. He nodded down at the clothes he wore.

Magnus sighed, understanding. It wasn’t often that Alec allowed people to see him wearing the clothes he wore now, and the loose jeans and oversized hoody he snuggled into was definitely a look Alec often hid from people. There was only one reason that Alec would be so willing to see Magnus wearing such a thing.

“They’re outside?”

Alec nodded. “Don’t wanna be stuck in uncomfortable clothes if I’m trapped on an overcrowded RV all day”, he laughed humourlessly.

Magnus bit his lips slightly, worrying it between his teeth. “Cat driving?”

“Who else?” Alec smiled softly, reaching across to touch Magnus’s hand gently, aware of the eyes of the police officer that was in the room watching their every move.

Magnus looked down at their joined hands and immediately knew what Alec was wordlessly telling him; Alec missed him, and something as simple as Catarina driving the RV reminded him that Magnus wasn’t around. Magnus squeezed Alec’s hand tightly.

“Just like old times”, Magnus said solemnly.

“Hey”, Alec implored. Magnus looked up at his boyfriend, smiling softly at the look on Alec’s face. “We’ll be back soon. You won’t have time to miss me.”

Magnus snorted quietly. “I always miss you.”

Alec’s resulting smile was strained, as though he were forcing himself not to say something. After a moment of silence, he simply sighed and settled back against the chair. “I know”, he said simply.

Ignoring the eyes of the police officer across the room, Magnus pulled Alec’s hand to his mouth and dropped a gently kiss to his knuckles. The blush that blossomed over the younger man’s face was well worth the warning they received from the officer.

“Go make me proud, Lightwood.”

Alec looked at Magnus silently for a moment before taking that as his cue to leave. Both men knew that a proper goodbye wasn’t possible right now; even the idea of saying the word “goodbye” made this exchange feel strangely final. Alec refused to think of this as a goodbye. He  _would_  see Magnus again.

 

 

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

 

_11 hours earlier_

“No one else wants to say it, so I will; Road trip part 2!”

Alec looked across the RV at Simon, who seemed particularly pleased with himself despite the exasperated looks he received. Raphael rolled his eyes, swatting his boyfriend’s arm lightly.

Alec couldn’t help but smile softly.

There had been many moments in Alec’s life that he had felt envy. As a child, Jace had undeniably been the favourite of the Lightwood children and had received a sort of love from his parents that until the Wayland boy was adopted, Alec didn’t even know his parents could feel. As a result, from a young age Alec had grown familiar with the feeling of jealousy.

When he had met Raphael, Alec had felt it once more. At first, Alec had felt attraction towards Raphael. Despite the thought making his nose wrinkle now, at the time Alec had constantly felt envy when seeing Raphael with other people. For the short duration of his crush, every glance or touch Raphael received set a fire blazing in a young teenage Alec’s chest.

For completely different reasons, Alec had felt similar when Izzy would come home late, neck littered with marks and a pleased smile on her face. Of course, as her brother Alec felt disgust but the idea of being close to someone the way that his sister so often was, made Alec feel somewhat worthless; He had never even kissed someone, and there was his teenage sister jumping from willing lover to the next.

Finally, Alec had felt uncontrollable jealousy quiet recently. It had been in similar circumstances; watching Raphael and Simon hold each other and embrace in such simple but meaningful ways. At the time, Magnus had just been arrested and the angry part of Alec had felt hateful envy towards his best friend.

Now he felt it again, looking at the way that Simon nestled into Raphael’s neck with a content sigh.

“Oh cut it out, you’re even making Ragnor cringe and he loves romance, right Ragnor?” Jace broke the silence, teasing.

Ragnor looked back at the group from where he sat up front with Catarina and glared pointedly at Jace. “Actually, romance is about as interesting as watching paint dry”, he said, deadpan.

Jace snorted. “You were supposed to say ‘Jace is right young chaps, please refrain from such PDA’”, Jace said in a terrible English accent.

Ragnor looked genuinely offended at Jace’s accent, looking down his nose at the blonde in contempt. “You disgust me, Wayland.”

Jace seemed unaffected and simply grinned. “Oh flattery will get you everywhere Ragnor.”

Alec smirked when he saw a smile tug at Ragnor’s lips before he spun to look out the window again, ignoring Jace’s calls.

The eldest Lightwood froze for a moment, feeling the heavy weight of eyes on him. He looked across and met his little sister’s eyes, frowning slightly at her worried expression. When she realised she was caught, Izzy smiled reassuringly before turning to her girlfriend - girlfriend? - and hastily starting a conversation.

Alec pushed away his confusion and simply turned back to his adoptive brother, who was slouched beside him and talking animatedly with Simon. It still surprised Alec that the pair got on, let alone that after 2 weeks stuck in the same loft they might become almost friends.

“- That would imply that you’re a cute person. You can’t be one half of a cute couple if you yourself aren’t cute.”

Simon pressed a hand to his chest in offence. “Excuse me Jace, but I think everyone here agrees that I am in fact adorable.”

“You’re really not”, Alec added, forcing himself to keep a straight face.

Simon’s eyes darted over to Alec and he frowned. For a moment Alec expected a defensive response to come from the brunet’s mouth but instead Simon shrugged.

“Of course you wouldn’t think I’m cute. You’re used to looking at yourself in the mirror.”

Alec’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he squinted at Simon. “What?”

Jace burst into laughter, shaking his head. “Oh God, Simon totally has a crush on Alec.”

Alec looked at his brother immediately, eyes wide with poorly concealed distress. Looking back at Simon, Alec pulled a face. “Wait, what?”

“No, he doesn’t”, Raphael hissed, tightening his arms around Simon’s waist.

Simon shrugged unapologetically. “Actually, I probably do. I mean, have you seen Alec?”

“Simon has a point”, Izzy piped up from across the room. “My brother is a pretty good-looking specimen.” When she noticed the look Alec shot her, she snorted. “Sorry bro.”

“It isn’t hard to see what Magnus sees in him”, Clary added jokingly. She didn’t even flinch when Alec glared at her.

Alec looked around the room with bug eyes, recoiling slightly when he caught Simon nodding rigorously. “Okay, this is getting weird.”

“Agreed”, Jace said, despite the grin on his face. “Let’s go back to insulting Alec. Why are we complimenting him?”

To no one’s surprise, Alec shot his younger brother a look. “You just want the compliments all for yourself.”

“Yep”, Jace admitted, completely unashamed.

“Y’know”, Alec sighed. “If we’re stuck in this car for the next 4 hours, don’t expect to make it to Vegas alive, brother.”

 

 

 

…

 

 

_11 hours earlier_

“I’m almost sad you couldn’t go with them. I bet you were quite the poker player in the day”, Magnus teased.

Luke chuckled lightly, settling back against the cold metal of the interrogation room chair. “Sadly, I have a job to do”, Luke said. “At the moment, that’s trying to find out who killed Camille Belcourt.”

Magnus shrugged. “If you find out, be sure to drop me a text”, he teased sarcastically.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Magnus spoke again. “How’s that going, by the way? They had to have left some evidence, right?”

Luke sighed, rubbing a hand down his worn face. “There’s not a whole lot. Forensics came back with no matches, which subsequently means the prosecution really don’t have any evidence against you.”

Magnus groaned loudly. Luke watched him for a moment, surprised at his outburst.

“That a bad thing?”

“No”, Magnus quickly said. “It’s just that none of this makes any sense. If these people were framing me for Camille’s murder then why haven’t they planted solid evidence. If they’re powerful enough to kill a woman behind bars at a police station with no one seeing, then they’re powerful enough to fake evidence against me. Hell they could have faked that rape test as easily as just taking a used condom from-”

“-Yeah that’s- that’s enough, Magnus”, Luke interrupted, waving his hand in an attempt to dissuade Magnus from continuing.

Thankfully, Magnus did. “Seriously though, Luke. What do they want?”

“Maybe they just wanted to get your attention”, Luke shrugged uselessly.

“Yeah but I didn’t even know about them so this wouldn’t have made me notice them because before Camille spilled the beans, I didn’t even know these people existed”, Magnus argued vehemently. “And Camille was forbidden from saying anything anyway so they can’t have counted on her to tell me.”

Luke thought deeply for a moment before he spoke. “Maybe they thought you already knew.”

Magnus looked across at Luke, watching him closely for a moment, lost in thought. “Maybe”, he began slowly. “Yeah, maybe.”

“Maybe it’s not that they’re after you because you  _have_  something”, Luke said passionately, growing almost excited with his deducing. “Magnus, what if they’re after you because they think you  _know_ something? And all of  _this_ ”, he gestured around him, “was to get your attention?”

Magnus thought for a moment. “Yeah. Maybe.”

If so, then Magnus was screwed…. Because he really didn’t know anything anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

……

 

 

 

_6 hours earlier_

Alec sighed deeply, pleasure settling deep into his bones as lips continued to trail across his neck. The feeling of soft lips sliding against his skin, nipping and sucking gently yet oh-so noticeably, made Alec’s legs tremble slightly.

He settled back into the soft bedding, his hands running furiously through tendrils of dark hair, pulling his face towards his neck when deep down he knew he should be pushing him away.

Embarrassment and guilt flooded him for a moment as he thought of where they were, trapped in the RV with their entire group of friends and family talking outside. And yet, here Alec was; attempting to conceal his moans by slapping a hand over his own mouth.

“Don’t do that”, he said firmly, reaching up to pull Alec’s hand from his mouth. His voice was rough, and heavy in a way that failed to hide his arousal from Alec. The grip he had on Alec’s hand tightened slightly when Alec allowed his legs to encircle his waist, pulling him down and against him so their bodies aligned perfectly.

Moans reverberated around the room despite Alec’s attempts at remaining silent. The return of these sensations, after having felt no physical affection in weeks, overwhelmed him. Despite the shame he felt roll through him at the thought of how desperate he had become for someone’s warmth, Alec didn’t push him away.

Instead, he forced his lover’s head away from his increasingly sensitive neck and drew him in for a kiss, moaning at the feel of their lips gliding across one another’s. It was a new sensation yet felt simultaneously familiar; the swelling in his chest as he listened to his companion’s gasps and moans.

To say Alec still wasn’t used to this level of intimacy was an understatement as the only time he had ever been this close with someone was his first time, with Magnus, just two weeks ago. But now, feeling every inch of this body pressing up against his was making his head spin. After finally experiencing the awe that was being intimate, two weeks had felt like a decade and Alec was as shocked at the intensity of his feelings as he was by the pleasure that soured through his veins.

“Alec.”

Alec moaned wantonly at the sound of his name, his mind closed entirely to his surroundings and only feeling, only seeing, only wanting  _this_. This moment; locked in his embrace and losing a battle to his own desires.

“Alec.”

The repeat of his name sounded so far away yet echoed in his ears like a mantra. That voice, so soothing and yet able to simultaneously ignite a fire in the pit of Alec’s stomach that raged with passion and want.

“Alec!”

Alec threw his head back, choking on a moan as he felt tell-tale hands lift his legs around a slender waist, supporting him as hips began to move.

Alec laughed slightly, uncontrollable as his feelings were. Being so surrounded by happiness was unusual to him and he didn’t know what to do with it all. Laughing made it easier, it would seem, for Alec felt like he was floating as hands tightened on his waist.

“Alec!”

Frowning, the eldest Lightwood noticed a distinct change in tone. Ignoring the doubt that settled in his chest, Alec tightened his arms around his lover’s slender neck, drawing his face down to his neck.

Pressing his mouth up to the man’s ear, Alec whispered his name breathlessly.

“Magnus”, he gasped, his voice cracking with poorly concealed need.

Magnus pulled his head from Alec’s neck, looking deep into his eyes when he spoke. “Alec!”

Alexander blanched slightly, staring at Magnus in disbelief as Jace’s voice escaped his boyfriend’s mouth.

“Alec!” Magn- Jace…. the guy repeated once more.

“Jace?” Alec finally asked. He noticed for the first time as he spoke, that his voice was croaky, as though having gone unused for a good few hours. Alec furrowed his eyebrows as he closed his eyes, rubbing at them furiously to dispel the strange images around him.

When he opened his eyes again, Jace was there, hovering over him.

Alec yelped, scrambling backwards on the bed and grasping at his chest uselessly. Jace raised an eyebrow at his older brother, clearly unimpressed.

“You’ve never been  _that_ deep of a sleeper, Alec. What the hell were you dreaming about?”

Alec’s heart was racing, pattering away in his chest as though it were ready to launch itself out of his ribcage any second. He ignored the shame that heated his cheeks and looked around him.

He must have headed to take a nap in the RV, for he immediately recognised the room he was in as the one him and Jace shared for so many weeks. Confusion fogged his mind as he turned to his brother.

“What happened?”

“You napped?” Jace snorted, not unkindly. “Seriously bro, what’s up?”

Alec took a deep breath before shaking his head and shrugging. “No idea. Bad dream, I guess.”

Jace looked at his brother sceptically but simply nodded. “Okaaay”, he sighed. “Well we’re at the hotel so you best grab your stuff. We’ll head to the casino tonight and maybe even try again in the morning if we don’t get enough.”

When Jace noticed his brother’s vacant gaze, he slapped his bicep to gain his attention. “Ready?”

Alec blinked at Jace as though he were trying to decipher what was in front of him. Jace frowned; there was something going on with Alec and he really wasn’t liking it.

“Yeah”, Alec finally said as he jumped from the bed, straightening out his clothes. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

“Good”, Jace said cheerfully, ignoring the doubt he felt as he watched Alec. “Then let’s do this.”

 

 

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

_5.5 hours earlier_

Their hotel room was huge but ultimately designed for a purpose. It wasn’t a fancy hotel, there was no room service and no expensive couple’s suite. Alec was surprised such an entity even existed in Las Vegas but he was thankful nevertheless.

In an effort to save money and time, they had headed for the cheapest hotel in the area. It still cost a pretty penny but it wasn’t quite as bad as it would have been had Magnus been around.

Alec smiled uncontrollably as he thought of how Magnus would protest the room;  _‘the walls are too drab, Alexander’_ or  _‘but we’re in Vegas, Alexander’_ or even _‘but if we all share a room we can’t have Vegas sex, Alexander’._

Alec rolled his eyes at himself internally; since that dream his mind had been crowded with endless images of Magnus and none of them were exactly child-friendly. He wasn’t sure if he was just tired and less in control that usual when it came to his boyfriend, or if he was simply growing  _that_ impatient to save Magnus. His lack of control was starting to aggravate him.

“We’ll figure out sleeping arrangements tonight”, Izzy said as she surveyed the room.

It was big and clearly designed for large parties but for their endlessly increasing horde of heroes it was still going to be cramped. There were 3 double beds, two sofas and a rather uncomfortable looking floor but Alec suspected they would be able to make it work.

“Fine but I refuse to share a bed”, Maia stated firmly as she dumped her bag beside one of the sofas.

“I second that”, Ragnor said with his signature look of displeasure.

Alec shook his head fondly, turning to look at the others. “So, are we prepared?”

Maia was the one to speak. “Mostly. I just need to do some basic set-up, double check everything. If anything goes wrong they’ll be able to track the signal back to this computer so I’ll have to hook us up with some ghosting software but it shouldn’t take long.”

“Okay”, Alec sighed. “Anything else we need?”

Izzy shot up from where she was perched on the end of a bed. “Clary and I need new dresses!”

Alec gaped at his younger sister. “You didn’t bring anything?”

“Nope”, Isabelle giggled, popping her ‘p’. “So we’ll just have to go and get some new clothes.”

No one was surprised when Alec rolled his eyes. “Iz, we were trying to save money.”

“Why bother?” she shrugged. “We’ll be rich by tonight.”

“No, we won’t”, Alec said sternly and albeit a little harshly. “Any money we make tonight goes towards helping Magnus, not funding your shopping addiction.”

Izzy’s eyes widened. It would have been comedic were it not for the guilt Alec felt for shouting at his baby sister.

“Sorry, Iz”, Alec sighed, rubbing a hand down his face in exasperation.

Izzy shook her head immediately. “No, I am  _hermano_. You’re right, this isn’t some big joke. We’ll just use some of the spare clothes we packed.”

“If you need them-”

“-I don’t”, she promised. “What I need is for my brother to get his boyfriend back so he can relieve a little tension.”

Alec’s cheeks grew hot but he settled for rolling his eyes at his sister. “If that’s settled then, me and Jace will head to the casino and check it out. That way we can get an idea of the on-hand security they have.”

“Oooh! Recon mission”, Jace said excitedly.

“I will literally kill you”, Alec warned his brother as he led him from the hotel room with a simple comband to the team.

“Be ready for 7.”

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

_4.5 hours earlier_

The first thing Jace noticed about the casino they had chosen was that it was still ridiculously packed during the day. He could count on one hand the number of times he had felt this claustrophobic.

Looking around them they immediately spotted countless guards and security lingering around the casino. The rows and rows of jackpot machines were littered with watchful eyes and an army of cameras. Walking through to the bar, Jace was alarmed to see security there too.

For the first time since he’d agreed to this, Jace doubted their mission.

How the hell they were going to con people with so many suspicious eyes watching them, Jace had _no_  idea.

Looking across at Alec, he knew his brother was thinking much the same thing and immediately felt pity for him. Quickly shaking off his doubts, Jace grasped Alec’s arm and gestured around them dramatically.

“Welcome to Hell, big bro. We’re getting lucky tonight.”

 

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

 

_2 hours earlier_

“He’s worried but eventually he stopped asking for a phone call when one of the officers threatened to take away his visiting privileges”, Luke explained, an affectionate tone to his words.

Alec chuckled. “If you weren’t there with him Luke, I’d seriously worry about him. He just  _loves_  getting into trouble.”

“Especially when it involves you”, Luke teased softly.

Smirking, Alec tightened his grip on the phone. “Listen Luke”, he began, his smile fading away. “When we get back we have to be ready to pay the bail and get him out of there as soon as possible. We don’t want this guy knowing he’s out if we can help it.”

Alec heard Luke hum in agreement down the line. “Agreed”, he said simply. “I’ll start getting everything ready. When you have the money, whose account is it going into?”

Alec sighed. “Not sure. Almost definitely mine but I don’t want to raise suspicion; I am only a bartender, are they not going to find it fishy that I have the money to pay the bail upfront. We’re not even going through a bondsman.”

Luke was quiet for a moment and Alec took the opportunity to look around him; the group was preparing to finally head to the casino. It was admittedly hectic but Maia’s calm demeanour was doing wonders for calming Alec’s mind. He quickly stuffed his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans as Luke began talking again.

“Put it in Clary’s”, Luke eventually said. “If anyone asks, she’s an artist. We can just say she earned the money from a painting she sold to a celebrity who wishes to remain anonymous. Simple.”

Alec nodded despite the fact he knew Luke couldn’t see him. “Don’t make it sound too easy”, he laughed slightly.

Luke snorted. “I would never.”

“Also, can you check the exact amount of his bail? He said it could be almost $500,000 but that was before all the evidence showed up null and void, right? It should be less now?”

Luke sighed. “I’ll have to check. It definitely cant be $500,000 anymore, not with all the evidence being useless as you said. But they must still have reason to suspect Magnus or they wouldn’t keep him here. It will still be high, but hopefully not  _as_  high.”

Alec bit his lip. “But below $100,000 right?”

“Probably”, Luke said slowly. “I’ll let you know, okay?”

“Okay. Thank you, Luke.”

Alec felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Clary. She was standing before him in a form-fitting dress, her red hair curled and tied up intricately. She wobbled slightly on her heels but had a degree of confidence in her step that Alec had never seen in the redhead before.

She looked at him kindly yet pointedly.

“I gotta go, Luke. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good luck, Alec”, Luke said before the line went dead.

Alec looked back at Clary as he put his phone in his pocket, straightening the navy blazer he wore.

“You look… nice?”

Alec winced when it came out sounding more like a question than a statement.

Clary remained unoffended and simply laughed. “Thanks, Alec. Come on.”

Alec followed the redhead towards the table they had set up in the centre of the room. It was littered with god-knows-what that Maia apparently needed and honestly, who was Alec to question that?

Everyone save Simon was gathered around the table as Maia sorted through various devices silently. She looked up at Alec briefly as he and Clary joined them.

“Nice of you to finally join us, boss”, she said with a hint of sarcasm. Alec would have been offended were it not for the smile on her face.

“What’s up?”

Maia straightened up slightly, clearly switching into business mode. “Okay”, she said, clapping her hands together. “I’ve fitted the girls with wires and cameras; their hair covered the earpieces pretty damn well so we’re good on that front and the cameras are well concealed.”

Alec looked over Clary once more, raising his eyebrow when he failed to spot the camera. “Where is it?”

Clary chuckled softly, before gesturing to her dress. Hanging down the centre of her chest and resting on the uncomfortable looking fabric of her dress was a small pendent, no bigger than Alec’s thumb, and bright red. Alec gaped at her.

“Yep”, she laughed when she saw his face. “Pretty cool, huh?”

Alec nodded, dumbfounded, before turning to his little sister. Izzy simply indicated to the small glasses perched on her nose that Alec had failed to notice.

They suited her, in a way that didn’t make them stand out. They weren’t bulky but were instead sleek and slim, just like their wearer. Alec wasn’t blind and knew his sister looked beautiful in them, her vibrant red lips assisting in drawing eye away from her new accessories.

Shrugging, Alec turned back to Maia. “And us guys?”

Maia grinned widely. “Jace has a wire tucked under his lapels”, she indicated to where Jace stood, jacket buttoned up and looking smart. “Raphael has one attached to the underside of his tie”, she nodded to Raphael, “and you get to have one on your cufflinks.”

Alec stared at Maia as though she had grown a second head. “Wait, what? Doesn’t that mean I’ll have to raise my hand for anyone to hear me? I’m not James Bond, I can’t do that unnoticed.”

Maia rolled her eyes. “I thought Jace was the dramatic Lightwood?”

Alec sighed. “There’s got to be something else?”

“There is something”, Maia said slowly. “But I’ve never seen it before so I don’t know if it works. And frankly, I don’t really want to try it out.”

“What is it?” Alec asked, ignoring her look of aggravation at his insistence.

Maia swallowed nervously before turning to a small metallic box perched on the seat beside her. Unclipping it and raising its heavy lid, she picked out what she required before turning back to the table.

In her hand was a small white container full of a clear liquid that Alec couldn’t quite place. He frowned, crouching down to look inside the pot that she held out gingerly. When he spotted a thin, blue, silicone looking crescent inside the container, he stood back with a gasp.

“You’re kidding?”

“What is it?” Jace asked in interest, leaning forward from where he stood to peer into the pot. When he spotted it, he pulled back in surprise. “No fair! Why does Alec get the cool stuff?”

Maia and Alec both rolled there eyes and Alec spared a thought for how similar he and Maia truly were.

“As I said, I didn’t want to try them. They’re risky. I’ve heard of them before but they’re definitely not a mass-market thing and god knows how safe they are.”

Izzy turned to Alec with a firm frown in place. “Whatever they are, they sound dangerous. No way.”

Alec groaned slightly. “They’re the best way for Maia and Simon to stay in contact with us. I should at least try them”, he insisted.

Izzy refused to budge, shaking her head adamantly. “Maia said she doesn’t know how safe they are! We’re not risking your life,  _hermano_!”

 “Don’t be so dramatic”, Alec said. “At least let me try and if they’re annoying, don’t work or hurt I’ll take them out immediately.”

Izzy looked sceptical but after a pregnant pause, she nodded slowly. “The second they’re even remotely uncomfortable”, she instructed, pointing a finger at her older brother.

Alec nodded, reaching over to pluck the container from Maia’s hands and heading to the restroom with a pleased yet apprehensive smile.

 

 

 

….

 

 

_1.5 hours earlier_

“How do they feel?”

“Honestly? Pretty comfortable”, Alec said truthfully as his eyes darted around the room from one face to another.

Jace recoiled slightly when their eyes met. “They’re cool dude, but it’s weird seeing you with bright blue eyes.”

Alec laughed slightly, turning to the wall-length mirror beside him and examining the contacts.

They truly weren’t uncomfortable to have on, but to see was a whole other story. Jace was right, and the piercing blue of his eyes was startling and almost unsettling. While Alec knew that such an intense shade was sure to catch the attention of endless suitors tonight, it was strange seeing how different his face looked with blue eyes instead of his usual hazel.

“God, if Magnus were here he’d be having a field day”, Ragnor sneered from the sofa, where he was delicately fiddling with a mic from the table.

Catarina burst into laughter. “Oh no, he would!”

Alec turned to them in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Magnus has a  _thing_ for blue eyes”, Catarina giggled. “We’re talking ‘ew that guys a 3, oh wait he has blue eyes, he’s a 10’ sort of thing.”

Alec had no idea what she was talking about so he simply looked away, fiddling with his jacket hem.

“Oh boy”, Catarina said, wiping a tear from her eye. “If he were here we’d never leave for the mission.”

Alec felt himself blush and hastily moved back to the table to join Maia, ignoring Izzy’s snickers. “Anything else?”

Maia looked just as captivated by his blue eyes as Alec suspected Magnus would be. “Nope”, she said slowly, looking down at her array of items. “You won’t need a camera which makes life easier. We can see and hear everything you do so just.... close your eyes if you use to restroom", she teased. "So if you need us, talk out loud and we'll hear. Then we can reply by typing it."

Alec blanched slightly, all colour draining from his face. “What do you mean?”

Maia looked exceptionally pleased with herself as she turned her computer to face Alec. Alec winced slightly; it was so weird to see on the screen exactly what he saw through his eyes; not to mention that it caused a nauseating illusion of endless screens on the laptop which made Alec look away quickly.

“Watch what happens if I type, for example, ‘hey Alec’.”

Alec startled, stumbling slightly when the letter ‘h’ appeared in the corner of his vision. For a moment, Alec felt like he were playing with some sort of virtual reality headset and felt incredibly dizzy. To his dismay, the entire sentence slowly appeared in his eyesight.

He looked around him, growing more surprised by the fact that the letters followed his eyesight indefinitely. Despite how fast he turned, he couldn’t escape the writing.

“This is insane”, he gasped, voice laced with awe. “No way.”

“Yes way”, Maia teased. “So, if we need to contact you for any reason we’ve got a fool proof way to do it undetected.”

Alec let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding. He gaped at the world around him, partially distorted by the presence of small letters in the lower corner of his vision.

“That being said”, Maia began, calling his attention back to her. “I’ve only ever heard of these, and that was when I was working in the government. I’ve never seen them actually be used so we’ll just have to pray they’re safe.”

Alec swallowed nervously. “Who the hell does Meliorn know?”

Maia shrugged, smiling. “No idea, but right now I’m seriously impressed. Whoever it is.”

 

 

 

 

…..

 

 

 

Within 20 minutes the group had finally left the hotel room after a final run-through of the plan. The others had all be equipped with some sort of earpiece; the girls had normal pieces concealed with their hair while Raphael and Jace had small studded earrings apparently quiet enough for no one to hear yet loud enough for the guys to listen to without straining.

Alec spared a thought for how strange this entire ordeal actually was; he was about to go breaking the law in a vegas casino with his friends to get the bail money to save his boyfriend who was on the run from powerful mob bosses. Oh, and he was wearing superspy contact lenses.

Thinking back to his earlier fear when it came to what they were about to do, Alec felt a strange sense of relief. For almost a week now he had been fretting over whether what they were doing was right. Even before the boutique attempt he had noticed their investigation taking a darker course, what with the strange presence of the ever-mysterious Meliorn, and he had panicked. Thinking about it now however, Alec felt strangely content.

A part of him worried over that, scared that he was slowly losing his morals or becoming darker than he’d intended. The other part of him selfishly celebrated his current confidence and independence.

Alec felt strangely dissociated from those feelings of doubt and fear that had plagued him recently, almost as though a tether had snapped, finally setting him free. He suspected the act of finally leaving their home, where all their planning and scheming felt unreal, and setting out to finally step into a darker world, had triggered something within himself.

He wasn’t sure if it was the adrenaline souring through his veins, the anger he felt towards his circumstances or even his excitement to see Magnus again but he felt as though a switch had been flicked. And frankly he enjoyed the change he found in himself.

He found himself smiling. It was funny; a mission so risky and ultimately dangerous should have scared him, much like the thought of stealing from the boutique owners had just days prior. But instead it made him feel strangely alive.

Once again, part of that scared Alec and he couldn’t help but wonder who he was becoming.

Looking at his siblings, Raphael and Clary however immediately calmed him. They appeared to be both as excited and as nervous as he was.

As previously established, Raphael and Clary would pair together while Jace and Izzy went together. Alec had insisted, somewhat keen to have silence as he did what he needed to do. He himself wasn’t much of a gambler so was opting to play the role of the losing opponent; his job was to pretend not to know Jace or Raphael but confidently play against them, encouraging the other players to raise the stakes, before ultimately losing to them.

Looking around him at the vast and vibrant casino, Alec felt slightly out of place. Without his friends by his side, Alec wasn’t sure where to start.

Eventually he opted to head towards a clearly busy poker game, choosing to stand on the side-lines watching with rapt interest rather than forcing his way into the game that was already well underway.

Somehow he managed to suppress a yelp of surprise when a message appeared in front of his eyes, frightening him.

 

_Are you okay, Alec?_

 

Alec did his best to nod as subtly as possible, not wanting to draw attention to himself save people think him insane.

 

 

 _Hey Alec_   :)

 

 

Much to Alec’s disgust a literal emoji smiley face appeared in his line of vision- as if the simple semi-colon and right parenthesis wouldn’t have been bad enough.

Immediately, Alec knew that Simon had taken control of the contacts and groaned slightly. A few eyes darted over to him and, eager to escape their attention, Alec shrugged slightly, looking sheepish.

One man watched Alec for a moment longer than necessary, his eyes dark with what Alec could only assume was lust. Feeling uncomfortable under the man’s watchful gaze, Alec looked away immediately. He could still feel the heavy eyes darting across his face and body with ill-concealed attraction and ignored how sick it made him feel.

 

_You could always go and find Raph, he’s just started a game._

 

Alec also thanked Simon out loud but managed to catch himself at the last moment. He hurried away with as much dignity as he had left, ignoring how the man followed him with his eyes for as long as possible before finally returning his gaze to the poker game.

Alec scrambled to follow Simon’s terrible instructions on where to head, ignoring the strange looks he got when he stopped suddenly and walked the opposite way he came. Hissing under his breath, Alec chastised Simon as best he could without getting caught talking to himself. Simon simply sent a smiley face in response.

When he finally spotted Raphael, he sighed in relief. He quickly joined the man, sending Clary a curious look when he spotted her curled around a completely different man, clearly attempting to distract him as eloquently as possible.

Alec slipped into the game with a confident smile. It felt fake, but from the looks of approval he received from the women around him, Alec had enough charm to seem genuine.

“Mind if I join, fellas?”

Raphael looked up at Alec and in that moment Alec was surprised at how good of an actor his best friend was. Raphael didn’t even blink, looking as uninterested in him as he was the entire game.

After a moment’s hesitation, Raphael nodded slowly. “Let him join”, he instructed his rival players.

Alec settled comfortably at the table, looking around him at the other 4 players, excluding Raphael.

One of the players and the men he was with were clearly playing a friendly game of blackjack on what was most likely a boy’s holiday. They were casually dressed, eagerly elbowing each other and sharing familiar conversation. Beside them was another man who was almost definitely a mutual friend, for he berated their childish behaviour in a way only a friend or brother would. It appeared that the bearded of the three was playing and the other two were obnoxiously eager supporters.

Beside them was a woman. She had a stern and steady look on her face and her body consisted of sharp lines and edges. She inevitably reminded him of Isabelle for she carried an air of confidence about her as she played with her purse nonchalantly. She appeared to be alone.

Watching her from her right was an older man, probably closer to 60 than 50. He was balding and wrinkled but had an eager look in his eye as he surveyed his female opponent. Alec suspected he would be easy to distract and beat.

Next to him was the man that Clary latched onto. He was rounded and, quite frankly, creepy. His eyes were large and wide, his smile more a leer than anything and the way he looked down at Clary made the over-protective part of Alec tense. He clenched his jaw firmly, curling his hands into fists as the Clary laughed exaggeratedly at something the man said.

There were 6 of them overall, everyone but the woman and Alec accompanied by a companion; although Alec assumed that Raphael and Clary were acting as though they didn’t know each other or he suspected that the redhead otherwise wouldn’t be hanging off of the older man.

The dealer smiled somewhat lifelessly at them and Alec spared some sympathy for him. Clapping his hands together, he nodded down to the deck in front of him and began to shuffle.

“I’d love to join, should there still be time”, a new and unfamiliar voice interrupted.

The dealer smiled welcomingly, looking entirely unfazed and nodded to the empty space beside Alec.

The man settled beside him with a pleased hum and for the first time, Alec turned to look at him.

And immediately looked away.

Panic shot through Alec as he stared straight ahead at the dealer, ignoring the gaze of the man beside him. It was him, the man from earlier, sitting beside Alec and looking him up and down unsubtly with a curious eye.

Alec spotted Raphael out of the corner of his eye, glaring daggers at the newcomer for the way he checked out Alec. For a moment, Alec worried that the other players may suspect Raphael for his reaction but then thought better of it- Raphael always looked pissed off and it was easy enough to believe he was simply annoyed at the game being interrupted once again.

From across the table, Alec could see the look of disgust on Clary’s face as she too watched their newcomer.

The man wasn’t ugly and perhaps that’s what made it worse, but he sure as hell was significantly older than Alec. Although attractive for his age, Alec would place him at perhaps 45 years old, potentially more. The way he watched Alec was too personal, too open. The man was clearly not afraid for the whole table to know how attracted he was to Alec.

Having only ever felt such a gaze from Magnus before, which while still sinful felt miles more pure and genuine, Alec felt uncomfortable. This man looked at Alec like he were a starved animal and Alec a slab of meat. Alec was almost surprised his mouth didn’t literally water with the way he leered at him, even going so far as to lean towards him, his hand hovering as though he were tempted to touch Alec.

Alec prayed he wouldn’t, for he wasn’t sure if any amount of scrubbing would make Alec feel clean again after.

Feeling a strangely familiar feeling settle in his stomach, Alec winced. The same hungry eyes had watched him before but those had belonged to a much younger and much more feminine predator.

Shaking off his thoughts Alec forced himself to focus on the game and took his two cards with a strained smile. The man beside him finally, taking a deep breath that Alec half suspected was his way of getting a whiff of him, turned to the game.

After a moment, the first betting round began.  “What are your bets, gentlemen?” the dealer asked, unknowingly breaking the heavy silence that had settled over the table since their new arrival.

The young woman was the first to speak, grinning wildly and confidently. “I’m thinking high boys, what about you?”

The seductive curl to her lips only managed to enrapture her fellow make players and Alec suspected that even if they wanted to the men couldn’t possible refuse her.

Yep… just like Izzy.

“I don’t mind high”, the man attached to Clary said confidently. “How high are you willing to go, beautiful?”

The woman bristled slightly at the name but ignored it. “I’m talking $5,000. If you boys have that sort of money?”

Alec began to panic slightly; they all had chips on them, curtesy of Meliorn. Fake chips, but supposedly the best in the business and Alec could only trust the mysterious man’s words. With no other options, they had agreed to take the risk with the chips.

No, his panic didn’t come from not having the money but the fear of inevitably loss. If they failed their first game and immediately lost $5000 right off the bat, Alec wasn’t sure if the night would go much better.

Raphael voiced his agreement and, reluctant to get left behind, Alec nodded his approval too.

The man beside Alec smirked lazily. “I’ll agree to $5,000. For now.”

Alec ignored the sense of dread that settled deep in his bones at the way the man so confidently spoke, as though he already knew he was bound to win.

 

 

 

 

…..

 

 

 _1_   _hour earlier_

 “Are you as worried about Alec as I am?” Izzy asked softly as Jace continued to lead her around the busy casino.

They had successful won their first game, earning a decent $2,000 for their trouble. Jace had insisted the pair continue on their own for a while, before meeting up with either Raphael or Alec, save people notice a pattern before the night was through.

Jace paused, turning to look at Izzy. “Why should we be worried?”

“Are you not then?”

“Of course I am”, Jace snorted, facing forward once more and leading them to another table. “But what do you think is wrong?”

Izzy shrugged helplessly, feeling as useless as she had the day Alec had been kicked out of home when she had done very little to protect her big brother from their assault. She felt as though she were similarly letting him down now.

“I have no idea but he’s acting strange.”

Jace sighed. “Honestly Izzy, I really think it might just be all of this building up.”

“But he’s not talking to anyone!” Izzy said loudly, startling a couple walking beside them. She apologised to them softly, tightening her grip on Jace’s upper arm.

“Izzy”, Jace said softly, leaning down to peck her forehead affectionately. Izzy couldn’t remember the last time Jace had been quite so physical with her, and she smiled.

“Have you ever considered that the one person he wants to talk to, he can’t?”

Sadness stole Izzy’s breath in that moment and she simply nodded solemnly. “Yeah”, she said, heartbroken.

Jace took a deep breath, drawing back his shoulders and catching Izzy’s attention. She looked up at him with a raised brow, watching him curiously.

Jace grinned at her, eager to get her mind off of their brother. “Shall we continue on in our mission, fellow baddass Lightwood? Or are we going to sulk all night?”

Izzy giggled musically. “Well of course, brother. Let’s go kick some ass.”

 

 

 

….

 

 

_45 minutes earlier_

Within the first 15 minutes, the game had picked up considerably. After agreeing to a general starting bet of $5,000 individual bets had been placed in clockwise order around the table. The bearded man had folded in defeat just 10 minutes into the game when the bets ran too high,  and it appeared as though the eldest gentleman at the table was ready to fold himself.

Alec had stuck to his role, playing well-dealt hands while somehow maintaining an innocent and amateur demeanour. He suspected that all of his fellow players had easily fallen for his charade.

Which made Alec’s job of convincing them to up the stakes so much easier.

When the older man was growing so frustrated he was pulling at his facial hair, Alec spoke up.

“Bet”, he said simply, pushing a pile of chips to the centre of the table with as confident a smile as he could fake when in close proximity to the creepy beside him. “I bet $7000.”

Alec met Clary’s eye momentarily, and she smirked coyly. Quickly looking away, Alec watched as the eldest player contemplated the game.

Frowning, the man shook his head. “You’re all mad”, he grumbled, slapping his cards down. “Fold.”

Alec managed to suppress a grin at the last second and instead had a look of innocent surprise to him.

The woman across from him met his eye with a devious gleam. “$8,000” she said, pushing her chips to the pool.

Alec sighed quietly, pushing another $1,000 worth of chips into the centre of the table without a word.

Raphael finally spoke, pushing in his lot. “Check.”

The man Clary hung off of looked sceptical but Clary looked at him, a wild look in her eye and excitement written across her face. He seemed unable to deny the redhead beauty the opportunity to watch the intense game and eventually agreed.

All the players, Alec included, turned to the man beside Alec with curious eyes. Alec immediately noticed that the man was watching him closely, a pleased and almost knowing smile on his face.

Without looked elsewhere, he pushed chips into the pool, his grin widening. Holding Alec’s gaze, he leant forward and in a voice he must have thought was seductive, said “Check.”

Alec flushed slightly and looked away.

 

_OMG HE’S TOTALLY FLIRTING WITH YU_

 

Alec bit his lip to stop himself shouting at Simon, growing frustrated with the way the words at the bottom of his vision were distracting him. He shook his head slightly, ignoring the soft chuckle it provoked from the man beside him.

“This is getting rather interesting”, the man said teasingly.

Alec cringed inwardly. The man’s voice was significantly closer than it was before and it was clear he had moved closer to Alec’s side.

 

_HE’S CREEPY. EW_

 

Alec rolled his eyes, almost thankful for Simon’s unintentional distraction.

 

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

_3o minutes earlier_

Much to Alec’s disappointment, the next player to leave the game was Clary’s arm-candy. While he was pleased to lose another opponent, Alec was devastated it wasn’t the creep beside him.

Who, incidentally, had moved even closer to Alec’s side.

Simon’s advice lingered in Alec’s mind, having only been typed moments before.

 

 _dude you need to flirt with him, make him lose by playing dirty :O_   _it happens all the time in the movies_

 

Opting to ignore the consistently annoying emoji that accompanied the message, Alec had quickly decided that Simon was right. If he wanted to win, he couldn’t just play. He had to play dirty.

Forcing down the nausea he felt, Alec subtly shifted towards the man beside him, even going so far as to bare his neck slightly as he turned to the table.

He could immediately feel the foreign eyes on him, locked onto the expanse of smooth skin down his neck. He faintly heard a groan, and suppressed a shudder at just how undignified this man truly was.

The game continued, each betting round increasing the money at admittedly smaller intervals than when they had started. Alec continued to rise to the challenge.

He wasn’t sure how such a basic game had led so quickly to an elaborate and incredibly costly battle. How he and Raphael had lucked out with a group of people so eager to bet, he didn’t know, but all he knew was that the game seemed endless. Everyone was so confident – too confident – and met the raise in bet each and every round. Eventually, someone would have to raise it significantly higher or they were going to spend all night here.

It soon became apparent that while she had started the bets off high, she was unwilling to meet Raphael raise of $10,000. Blanching, the woman frowned, looking down at her deck with contempt. Finally, she threw her cards at the dealer and with a hiss of “fold”, moved aside the watch the rest of the game.

Alec grew nervous as he moved his chips to the centre, the man beside him doing the same. When his hand grazed Alec’s, he quickly pulled his hand away and settled back. The man watched him recoil with amusement, even winking when Alec met his eye.

Alec sighed deeply, looking down at his deck.

He couldn’t do what Simon had said. It was getting too hard and all the man had done was simply wink at him, yet immediately Alec had felt his willpower crumble and his confidence shatter. Something about him, probably simply that he wasn’t Magnus, was making Alec uncomfortable and an easy prey to his advances.

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

_20 minutes earlier_

Alec gaped, terrified, as he watched Raphael place his cards against the table in defeat. His face showed just how annoyed he was, sending a glare to the man beside Alec who had dealt a better hand than him.

Feeling multiple sets of eyes on him, Alec paled slightly. He looked at the man beside him, noting the joyous gleam in his eye as he watched Alec’s hand tremble slightly.

After a moment of deliberation, Alec looked up Raphael emotionless as he turned his card around. He saw the exact moment that Raphael realised they had lost, for his shoulder sunk and he groaned almost silently.

Alec felt disappointment weigh on his shoulders like a dumbbell. With all of the bets involved, there was easily $50,000 sitting in the centre of the table - enough to likely be over half of Magnus' bail money. At they'd lost it.

Alec heard the roar of delight from the man beside him who lent across the table to draw his chips into his arms. He brushed his side up against Alec, who bristled but remained where he was.

He watched Raphael and Clary stand, the former sending him a look that encouraged him to do the same. Alec met his eye and shook his head softly.

Raphael seemed to understand for he slowly nodded, although he looked worried. Eventually he turned on his heel and left, Clary following at an unsuspicious distance behind him.

Alec looked around him as everyone slowly filed away, clearly disappointed to have lost such large sums of money. The dealer began to collect the cards wordlessly, completely ignoring Alec’s presence.

Alec watched the man beside him as he gathered his chips into a bag he pulled from one of his trouser pockets. Much to Alec’s amusement, the man simply scooped up the chips and dumped them into the black bag, a wide grin on his face.

Taking a deep breath and sending a mental prayer to Magnus to forgive him, Alec lent forward and gently rested his hand on the man’s bicep.

The man startled, seemingly surprised by the contact. He spun to face Alec and his face melted into one of pleasant shock. He grinned at Alec, looking down at his hand and where it rested on his arm.

Alec looked into the man’s eyes, willing himself to pretend they were the golden colour of his boyfriends.

“Congratulations”, Alec said breathlessly. He hadn’t intended to sound so nervous, but it appeared to appease the man before him.

“Why thank you beautiful”, he grinned deviously.

Alec smiled slowly, even going so far as to bite his lip coyly. “I was really hoping to win this game”, he said innocently.

The man raised an eyebrow as he tied his bag closed, keeping his eyes on Alec the whole time. “Oh really?”

“Yeah”, Alec sighed, bearing his neck once again. The man’s eyes were drawn immediately to it. “It’s my first time in a casino, really wanted to christen it with a win.”

Alec was well aware of the double meaning behind his words and it seemed so was his admirer for his eyes lit up and his tongue darted out to moisten his lips. The look he sent Alec was positively filthy and made him feel incredibly inappropriate in the middle of a busy casino.

“I’m sure there are other ways to celebrate your first time. Y’know… at a casino.”

Alec swallowed his pride, and smirked at the man. He quickened his breathing, drawing the man’s attention to the steady rise and fall of his chest. The man grinned, standing from his seat and extending a hand to Alec.

“Come alone, beautiful. I think I know a way to celebrate that will…. satisfy you just as much as any money could.”

Alec begged to differ but he put his hand in the other man’s wordlessly, ignoring how wrong it felt to be touched by another.

As the man led Alec towards, from their earlier recon, what Alec knew were elevators to the hotel rooms upstairs, Alec bowed his head in shame.

The man seemed preoccupied with remembering his way to his hotel room, talking to Alec – although mostly to himself – about how well he had performed in the game. Alec ignored him entirely, turning away to watch the people milling around the casino around him.

Alec quickly remembered what was happening when a simple question mark appeared in his line of sight. Suppressing the urge to vomit, Alec looked down at his feet, allowing the man to drag him along.

“Please don’t watch”, Alec said quietly. He prayed that Simon had heard him.

After a moment, as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside, a message finally popped up.

 

_You don’t have to do this._

 

Unable to speak due to being in a small enclosed space with the older man, Alec nodded subtly, hoping that Simon would understand.

 

_I understand why you’re doing this, but please think again. Think of Magnus._

 

As they stepped out into the hall and Alec was led to a hotel room, he whispered one final message to Simon.

“I am.”

 

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

 

The moment the door closed behind him, Alec was pushed up against the wall, lips attacking every inch of bare skin his suit left exposed. Alec immediately shut his eyes to shield not only himself  but the others from the view.

Thinking of the others, Alec felt sick to his stomach. He knew that at the bare minimum, Simon knew what he was doing. Fear spiked inside him when he realised that Maia, Catarina and Ragnor – 3 of Magnus’ best friends – were likely also aware.

For a moment, Alec pushed aside such thoughts and turned his mind to Magnus. If they knew and Magnus found out, what would happen? Would he leave Alec?

It was in that moment that Alec came to a simple conclusion; that he would rather lose everything so that Magnus might have a life, as opposed to keeping Magnus but abandoning him to go through a trial that would no doubt be orchestrated against him.

Alec would chose to lose Magnus as long as Magnus was safe and free.

Pushing aside thoughts of Magnus, Alec tried to isolate this moment. He knew that the better he was at doing so, the easier it would be to destroy these memories in the future. He knew he would never forgive himself and would never truly forget what occurred here but he would not tarnish what he had with Magnus by even thinking his name in the same room as this scumbag.

Alec couldn’t believe that this was happening, that someone was touching him in a way that only Magnus had touched him before. The nausea almost overwhelmed him when foreign hands traced down the sides of his body, gripping and pulling him against a firm chest.

Alec did his best to avoid the man’s lips, baring his neck in a last-ditch effort to escape this man’s affections.

He could only blame himself. He had come up here, willingly. He had decided that the best thing to do was to follow this man upstairs and let the man distract himself with Alec’s body. Alec knew it wasn’t as simple as cheating; what he was doing may not have held the same implications as willingly sleeping with someone else, but he was still allowing another man to touch him and kiss the skin that Magnus so openly worshiped.

Magnus. 

Magnus would no doubt be devastated.

But he didn’t have to know.

Alec cringed, pushing the man away slightly in an attempt to distract him with something other than his skin.

“How about a drink?” he asked, in as steady of a voice as he could.

The man’s eyes lit up wildly and he nodded. Before turning to the drinks stored on the countertop of his hotel room, he leant forward, pressing Alec up against the wall.

Alec shudder in disgust but sent the man a look that he hoped was seductive.

The man pressed his lips to Alec’s ear, blowing air across it. “You are so beautiful”, he sighed deeply. “I cannot wait to make you mine.”

Alec pinched his eye shut, forcing down his tears. This was not how he had intended to get the money to save Magnus, but if this was what he needed to do, he would do it.

He would do anything for Magnus.

Berating himself for once again thinking about him, tarnishing the sanctity of his very name, Alec turned his attention to the man across from him.

He was preparing drinks, pouring a generous amount of bourbon into a decanter glass.

 

_Alec, it’s Cat. Please. Don’t do this. There are other ways._

 

Alec winced, biting his lip to suppress his tears.

No there wasn’t. He and Raphael had just lost the game. Were it any other game he would have let it slide, let the money go, but this game had had high stakes.

Inside the black bag thrown down by his feet was almost $50,000. $50,000 dollars to help save Magnus’ life.

He had to get it.

 

_Distract him, Alec. Do anything. But not THIS._

 

Alec watched at the man approached him, the words in his vision distracting him at every turn. He took the drink gladly, immediately consuming the entire thing.

The man whistled, impressed. “My, my”, he sighed dreamily. “Aren’t you eager.”

Alec met his eye and smiled slightly. “Very”, he said simply. He really hoped that his companion couldn’t hear how his voice trembled.

 

_Please Alec. For Magnus._

 

Alec looked down at his hands to hide his heartbreak; Catarina really knew how to get to him.

Alec sighed, the words she had sent floating in his vision like physical barriers between him and the sin he was attempting to commit.

“You want to make me yours?” Alec asked quietly.

The man groaned, as though growing aroused simply by Alec’s words. It made Alec feel filthy.

“Yes”, he said simply.

“I-I’ve never-”, Alec began. If he could continue to play the innocent card then perhaps he had a chance of doing this without betrayed Magnus in _every_  way.

The man looked elated at the news and stepped into Alec’s personal space, putting his glass down on a shelf Alec only now noticed. He looped his arms around Alec’s waist and pressed the younger man to his firm body. Alec wanted to scream when he felt the obvious evidence of the man’s interest in him.

“I want to”, Alec whispered breathlessly. He raised a hand to stop the man from kissing him when he leant forward – even if Alec had to go this far, his lips were off limits. “But I don’t have protection.”

“We don’t need it”, the man insisted, his hands pawing at Alec’s clothes.

Alec sighed. He wanted to push the man away but wasn’t sure what response he would get. Instead, he pulled the man so close that his hands were trapped between their bodies, unable to unbutton Alec’s top any further.

“Please”, Alec asked quietly, although it came out as more of a beg. “I can’t- not without.”

The man looked annoyed but, taking a deep breath, stepped back and nodded. “Of course”, he sighed, running a tired hand through his hair. “But I don’t have any here.”

Alec felt relief sour through his veins like adrenaline and it gave him a new lease of energy. He grinned seductively, looking at the man through his eyelashes and leaning against the wall to display himself as best as possible.

“There’s a giftshop downstairs?” Alec asked as innocently as possible.

The man watched Alec’s display with hungry eyes and when he nodded he only appeared to be half-listening. He stepped away reluctantly.

“I’ll go get it, you wait here. Lay down”, he nodded to the bed. “I’ll be back before you have a chance to miss me, beautiful.”

Alec smiled despite the desire to cry with happiness inside. For fear that the man might remember the bag, Alec held his eye as he backed out of the room. By slowly lifting the hem of his top to expose stomach, Alec managed to maintain the man’s attention until the door closed behind him.

Alec immediately collapsed at the foot of the bed, panting heavily. His heart was racing, his throat horse as though he had been screaming and he supposed he had, at least internally.

 

_Thank you, Alec. Come back. Please._

Alec read the words slowly, absorbing Catarina’s message. With a choked off cry, guilt settling deep in his bones, he nodded. He didn’t dare speak to her.

He quickly stood on shaky legs, grabbing the black bag. Without a moment’s hesitation he walked to the hotel room door and cautiously opened it. When he saw but an empty hall, Alec sprinted from the room.

Knowing the man too eager to take the stairs, Alec avoided the elevator at all costs, racing down the floors until he reached the main lobby and casino. He looked around frantically, desperate to spot his siblings.

In the crowd, Alec knew he would not find them. He looked behind him at the small gift shop across from him and fear forced him to walk as quickly as possible without raising suspicion, in the opposite direction.

Alec kept his face forward, refusing to look back for fear the man might spot his face in the crowd. He weaved through endless crowds of people until he came to a familiar poker table. He stopped in the centre of the room, looking around desperately but coming up empty.

 

_It’s okay, Alec. I’m here. Just go and exchange the money, then get the hell out of there <3_

 

Alec let out a breath, chuckling slightly at the heart Cat had tacked onto the end of the message.

“Thank you”, he whispered sincerely.

The simple heart he received in his vision was enough proof that she had heard him and, he supposed, that she didn’t hold what he had done against him.

Alec turned to go and exchange the chips, desperate to get his hands on the money and get back to the hotel room.

Dare he say it, but he needed Catarina’s embrace more than he felt he even needed Isabelle’s right now.

The moment he had the money, securely encased in a briefcase provided by the casino at a small charge, Alec fled the building. His heart raced as he ran down the street, eager to escape not only the casino itself but also the man. Fear gripped Alec’s heart when he even thought about how the man would return to find him and his money gone, and likely come after him.

What if he went to the police? What if Alec became a wanted man?

Alec’s thoughts were interrupted as he broke free of the crowds and turned onto a slightly emptier street. Turning the corner to their hotel, Alec felt relief take over when he spotted Catarina and Ragnor waiting for him at the end of the path.

He let out a startled breath as Cat ran towards him, dropping the bag at his feet when she grew near. He was vaguely aware of Ragnor picking up the bag but his attention was stolen by Catarina’s embrace as she locked her arms around him.

Alec didn’t cry; he wasn’t sad.

He didn’t scream; he wasn’t angry.

He didn’t laugh; it wasn’t funny.

He simply stood frozen in Cat’s arms, gasping for breath.

All he felt was guilt.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeezzzz..... we got there eventually. I REALLY HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER even if I am being super mean to Alec lately. But dont worry because Magnus will suffer too soon (oh boy, chapter 10 ... oh boy... thats a good one)
> 
> Let me knw what you thought down below and if you like the direction we're going. Things are about to REALLY pick up and get more dramatic than ever before in the California Dreamin' series (Chapter 10 man.... all i'm sayin') so... YAY :D
> 
> Anyway, have an awesome day guys and thanks for reading <3  
> (update on saturday)


	9. The Most Important Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is reminded that the most important thing in the world right now.... is getting Magnus the hell out of that police station.

If there was anything that Magnus had grown used to in the last couple of weeks that he’d been confined to a prison cell, it was that police lacked even a modicum of organisation. Even Luke – who Magnus knew was perhaps the best cop in New York – was disgustingly disorganised. It shouldn’t surprise Magnus, what with Graham being equally as bad, but it still came as a shock when Luke showed up at his cell with his head hanging and something akin to embarrassment on his face.

If there was any way to describe the man, it was as though he had his tail through his legs. He looked like a kicked pup, or a disobedient dog waiting to be chastised by his owner.

“Luke? What’s wrong?”

Luke met Magnus’ gaze and sighed, looking away. “I spoke to Graham and we have a confirmed bail amount for you after last week’s hearing.”

 _Ah yes_ , Magnus thought. That had been a lovely experience; standing in front of a judge who had the simple task of setting a bail amount but found they needed time to “deliberate”. It had been a week since then, the hearing happening on one of the few days that Luke wasn’t working and Magnus had been left with two cops with rather forceful grips and condescending sneers.

“Took you a while to find out, Luke” Magnus said in as kind of a voice as he could; he suspected that Luke didn’t fail to pick up on his aggravation no matter how hard he attempted to hide it.

Luke nodded. “I know Magnus, I’m sorry. But at least now we have a confirmed amount.”

Magnus rolled his eyes after a moment of silence. “Spit it out, Garroway” he said firmly but not unkindly.

“Well we knew it wouldn’t be too much because of the evidence issue, but the judge still said that they have reasonable doubt of your character; seems like they didn’t hesitate to uncover your link to Asmodeus since we have records of some of his crimes, so they’re convinced it’s in your blood at this point”, Luke explained, eyes wide as though he were as surprised to be saying it as Magnus was to hear it.

Magnus gaped at the taller man as though he were mad. “You’re kidding?”

“Nope”, Luke said simply. “’Fraid not.”

“That’s ridiculous! They have no evidence against me”, Magnus cried, pushing away from the bars of the cell to pace the small space he had available to him.

Luke watched him carefully and with a sigh, he shook his head and began speaking once more. “Look, it’s still not as bad as we originally thought. There’s no evidence so a jury wouldn’t dream of convicting you regardless of your father’s crimes.”

“But are we to assume that she was killed by whoever my father has issues with?” Magnus demanded, spinning back to face Luke. “Because if so, they could argue that I’m responsible of wiping her out on my father’s behalf.”

“You didn’t even know about your father a couple of weeks ago”, Luke said firmly, silencing any further argument from Magnus. “All that matters right now is that the bail is only $65,000 so when Alec and the others return, you’re free on bail.”

Magnus took a deep breath, rubbing a hand down his face, cringing internally at the rough feel of his growing beard against his palm; he was a fan of facial hair – as was Alexander, it seemed, from his constant staring during his visits – but having an almost full-grown beard was starting to upset Magnus. He wasn’t a full-beard so of guy.

“Okay”, he sighed. “Let’s hope they come home with enough.”

 

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

 

“You haven’t seen him?” Izzy demanded for what felt like the 5th time in a 30 second period. “You’re serious?”

Clary moved to stand beside her girlfriend and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Hey”, she implored softly. “It’s okay, Iz. He’s an adult who can more than handle himself.”

Jace ignored his sister and Clarissa, instead turning to a put-out looking Raphael. “Where did you last see him?”

Raphael rolled his eyes, gritting his teeth in obvious impatience. “ _Like I said,_ I last saw him at our first game.”

“That was over 2 hours ago!” Jace hissed at the brunet. Raphael grew angrier at Jace’s attitude, stepping back and out of the blonde’s space with a warning glare.

“Maia and Simon have been MIA for the last 2 hours. That’s not a coincidence”, Izzy piped up, moving up to her brother to place a reassuring hand on his bicep. Jace tensed slightly under her hand but relaxed when he met her eye. “We just have to ask them what went wrong, that’s all. Maybe they know where he is.”

Raphael sighed deeply, turning to look around them at the people milling around the casino. “Regardless of where Alec is, we’ve all still been busy; so, what have you got?”

Clary turned to Izzy and Jace, opening the small purse she’d brought with her to reveal a collection of casino chips. “We’ve got about $6,000… maybe $6,500”.

Jace frowned slightly, looking at Raphael. “That all?”

Raphael glared at him. “Shut up. What did you get then?”

Jace nodded to Izzy, who grinned and picked up a small briefcase that Raphael hadn’t even noticed had remained at their feet the entire exchange. She lifted it to her chest with a devious smile. “We went up a little while ago to get it exchanged before we started looking for Alec. If I remember correctly it was… what, $11,000? Right Jace?”

Jace grinned smugly at his little sister. “I think so”, he said, turning to look at Raphael with poorly-concealed amusement. “Unless it was… wait, no, wasn’t it $12,000?”

“Oh, that’s right!” Izzy giggled, slapping Jace’s arm playfully. “How silly of me!”

Clary giggled, ignorant of Raphael’s glare at her betrayal.

“Whatever”, Raphael growled, turning away. “Blondie, go take Clary to get them exchanged. Me and Izzy will try and get a hold of Simon.”

Jace, still laughing, offered an arm to Clary playfully. “Care to join me, ma’am?”

Clary beamed, looking up at Jace with a face reminiscent of how she looked upon him during the prime of their time together. She looked at him with amusement, laced with what Isabelle knew was still lingering feelings for the man.

“Oh, I’d love to”, Clary said in a similar accent to the one Jace poorly imitated. She looped her arm through his, clutching her purse safely to her chest and allowing him to tow her away.

Izzy watched with amusement if a little hint of jealousy; Jace and Clary had loved one another for years, it was hardly news to her that their relationship would linger in the shadow for the duration of her and Clary’s no matter what happened. That, and Isabelle knew that Clary hadn’t just stopped loving Jace when she fell for Izzy.

It didn’t upset her. Perhaps a few weeks ago it may have, with the breakup between the two so fresh and the feelings so powerful and raw, but now Izzy knew that Clary loved her. Knew that Clary loved her dearly. She trusted her girlfriend to navigate her confusing feelings for Jace without Izzy’s interference.

Turning to Raphael, Isabelle forced the thoughts from her mind.

Raphael met her eye with a curious one, clearly intrigued by their dynamic but unwilling to interfere. Izzy had always loved that about her brother’s best friend- he was never one to impose, but always one to offer silent companionship.

“So, when was the last time you spoke to Simon?”

Izzy shrugged. “I don’t know, almost 2 hours ago. You?”

Raphael nodded slowly. “It was just after we left Alec at the table.”

Izzy tensed slightly, pulling Raphael gently to the side, out of the way of prying eyes. “Explain what happened?”

“We played a game of poker”, Raphael said, as though it were obvious. He shrugged. “I don’t know. This other player was creeping on Alec and he won the game. When we lost, I thought Alec would leave with us but he shook his head; he wanted to stay there. Maybe he tried to reason with the guy.”

“When you say ‘creeping on him’, what do you mean?” Izzy enquired softly, her brow furrowed as though she were lost in thought.

Raphael shrugged again. “I don’t know”, he sighed. “He obviously liked him. Kept leering at him, and tried touching him a few times but besides that he seemed relatively harmless.”

“Okay”, Izzy said slowly. “So, you don’t know what happened to Alec after he stayed with the guy?”

“No”, Raphael confirmed. “I asked Maia shortly after but she didn’t respond and the line has been dead since.”

“And you didn’t think to call her, or go back to the hotel room?” Izzy asked, clearly upset by Raphael’s lack of action.

“Did you?” Raphael challenged simply.

It was enough to work, for Izzy immediately shut up. She looked at Raphael with respect, tainted by undeniable worry and shame. Neither of them had moved to check on their brother and friend, but had simply ignored their worries and continued having fun conning unknowing young men.

After a moment of silence in which both of them wallowed in their shame, Raphael shifted. “Look, Isabelle” he said softly, stepping back and forth on his feet nervously- Izzy spared a thought to ask herself if she had ever seen Raphael Santiago nervous before. “When Clary and Jace get back, we’ll head straight back to the hotel. If Alec were in trouble there’s no way that Simon or Maia wouldn’t have warned us by now. He has to be back at the hotel room.”

Izzy nodded vigorously. “Okay. Yeah, okay.”

 

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

 

“Don’t you think it’s a bit strange though? Almost 3 weeks of virtual silence?”

“It’s not silence, you idiot!” he hissed, turning to his blond companion with a condescending glare. “He said to wait, so we wait.”

The blond shifted, awkwardly fiddling with the badge plastered across his chest. “B-but, he hasn’t said anything since? How much longer are we supposed to wait?”

“As long as it takes”, his partner said sharply, turning away from him to look at the monitor in front of them again.

The blond settled back into his chair at the front desk of the precinct, sighing. “I hope it’s not much longer. It’s a bit boring just watching him pace and sing to himself all day.”

“Jesus Christ. Do you ever shut up?” his partner growled, growing impatient. “If you don’t like it, leave.”

“No way”, his blond companion immediately responded, sitting up sharply. “He’d kill me if I walked out on a job.”

His voice was tense, but there was almost an element of humour to it, as though he were trying to make light of the situation.

Ignoring his bumbling idiot of a partner, the dark-haired man turned back to the monitor, watching the figure move around his cell like an impatient animal- as though he were waiting for something.

“I don’t think we’ll be waiting much longer.”

 

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

 

Izzy, Clary, Jace and Raphael finally left the casino approximately 2 ½ hours after they arrived, bags heavy with cash and pleased yet hesitant smiles on their faces. Despite the growing sense of doubt that settled across them all, along with worry for their friend, they were attempting to be proud of their achievements. Earning almost $15,000 in just 3 hours was hardly something to scoff at and they weren’t about to complain about their winnings.

Turning the corner onto their hotel’s street, Izzy’s heels began to click loudly as she picked up her pace. The other followed closely behind, not running but certainly not strolling in their haste to find their brother.

When Izzy entered the hotel lobby she completely disregarded the cheerful welcome from the front desk, darting to the hotel elevator and pressing the button firmly and repeatedly.

Clary joined her girlfriend, grasping her hand to stop her from working herself up.

No words were exchanged as the four of them entered the elevator, waiting patiently as it slowly took them to the floor.

When they reached the empty hall of floor 4, Izzy darted from the lift and immediately headed to the cream door embezzled with the number ‘16’. She didn’t hesitate to open the door and storm in, looking around hastily for her big brother.

She paused as she took in her surroundings; Simon and Maia were sitting awkwardly on a small sofa, looking down at their hands as though thinking deeply about something. Both had faces that read relief and simultaneously distress, but they were silent. Sitting opposite them was Ragnor, who was nursing a glass of what Izzy assumed was alcohol.

Izzy quickly noted Catarina and Alec’s absence, turning to the other inhabitants in the room and demanded to know where her brother was.

Simon looked startled as he looked up at Izzy in surprise, his eyes immediately casting across the group until they settled on Raphael, who – noticing Simon – quickly joined his boyfriend of the couch and grasped his hand tightly.

Maia looked at the group, her expression giving nothing away, until suddenly she gasped. “Oh my gosh, guys! We’re so sorry! We completely forgot!”

Jace stepped forward, closing the hotel room. He aimed to look the opposite of imposing, but Simon still looked away as he approached, as though afraid of being shouted at.

“It’s a good thing we’re all naturally good poker players.”

“And have good luck on machines”, Clary piped up. She gently squeezed Izzy’s arm before settling beside Maia to offer silent comfort, which the brunette accepted with an awkward smile.

“Where’s my brother?” Izzy repeated, looking no less panicked.

Ragnor met her eye and smiled as reassuringly as possible. Izzy had never seen him smile before, and almost recoiled in shock.

“He’s with Cat in the bathroom. They’ve been in there for a while. They’re talking.”

Izzy looked over at the closed bathroom door curiously. “What happened?” she asked softly, not taking her eyes from the door as though she expected it to open and reveal her brother any moment.

“It’s not that bad”, Simon sighed. “But Alec was pretty freaked out and uncomfortable so he headed home about 2 hours ago. We were all sitting and talking for a bit, but Alec decided he wanted to talk to Magnus so he and Cat headed to the bathroom for some privacy.”

Izzy smiled gratefully at him, thankful for the information. After a moment of hesitation, she sat down beside Ragnor. “Okay, but what happened to make him come home? What freaked him out?”

“-Was it that guy from the game?” Raphael interrupted delicately.

Izzy looked across at Raphael before her eyes darted to Simon, who nodded.

“Yeah. He had a bit of a scary encounter with him and… he just really wanted to talk to Magnus.”

Jace straightened up, his protective nature overcoming him. “Did he hurt Alec?” he demanded.

Maia was the one to answer this time. “Depends what you consider ‘hurt’” she said simply.

Jace glared at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing”, Maia sighed. “It’s- just nothing. Forget I said it.”

Jace settled back in his chair and looked over at his sister, who he immediately noted was already looking at him. They both shared a look, clearly thinking the same thing; Alec had suffered so much in these past weeks and if _anything_ had happened to him, they’d blow up the ground they stood on to protect him.

 

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

Alec frowned, looking down at his hands as the sound of the phone echoed around the bathroom. He was distantly aware of Cat’s hand on his knee, rubbing soft circles to calm him as he waited for the phone to be picked up.

After what felt like forever, the phone finally picked up and a deep voice sounded down the line.

“New York Police Department, how can we help you?”

Alec took a deep breath, attempting to breath normally before he spoke for fear of his voice breaking. He coughed quickly, leaning towards to phone where it rested on the edge of the sink, beside his head.

“Uh, yes. I would like a word with Magnus Bane, please. I’m- I’m his lawyer.”

The man on the other end paused for a moment, and Alec could distantly hear shuffling on the other line. After a moment, he hummed. “Magnus Bane, you say?”

“Yes”, Alec said firmly, ignoring the fear in his belly. He looked across at Cat, who smiled reassuringly and nodded to the phone.

Alec focused his attention on the device as the man spoke once more. “Of course. You know the drill, I presume?”

“Of course,” Alec agreed obediently. “25 minutes.”

“Good”, the officer said. Alec could hear the moment the officer reached Magnus’ cell for the tell-tale sound of his footsteps stopped and he began to speak to another person down the line. 

“25 minutes”, the officer said once more, startling Alec slightly when his voice returned loudly. There was distinct shuffling as the phone was passed over to Magnus and in those few seconds, Alec felt his breath hitch.

“Hello?”

Alec let out a breath of relief, hanging his head slightly at the sound of Magnus’ voice after such an exhausting day.

“Hey”, he said softly.

Magnus’ tone changed immediately and his previously bored voice burst to the brim with excitement and affection when he responded. “Alexander”, he sighed appreciatively. “How are you?”

Alec smiled tightly up at Cat, who was beaming widely at the phone. She cast her eye to Alec and smiled so genuinely that Alec felt tears well in his eyes. He nodded to her gratefully.

“Not really”, he finally said. “I really needed to talk to you, actually.”

Magnus quickly grew worried on the other end of the phone, for his voice grew tense. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine”, Alec said breathlessly, chuckling slightly at his lover’s worry. “Something happened, that’s all.”

“Like what? Are you hurt?”

Alec smiled softly. “No, Mags. I’m fine but I just wanted to talk to you about what happened, get it off my chest.”

Magnus sighed deeply down the line and if Alec could see him he was almost positive that his boyfriend would be pacing. “Okay. What is it?”

“I got money”, Alec began simply. “A lot of money.”

Magnus let out a breath of relief. “I hate to say it but thank fuck. This place is much too drab, Alexander.”

Alec laughed softly, shaking his head fondly. “Yeah, well hopefully we can get you out tomorrow.”

Magnus hummed pleasantly in his ear. “I can’t wait to see you”, Magnus said with bated breath.

“You saw me yesterday”, Alec giggled nervously, fiddling with his hands as he spoke.

Magnus made a noise that sounded vaguely like agreement. “But I didn’t get to hold you. Or kiss you. Or… other things.”

Alec blushed deeply, ducking his head to avoid Catarina’s amused eyes. His breath escaped his throat in bashful gasps as he shook his head to dispel the thoughts Magnus had conjured in his mind.

“Magnus, I really need to tell you what happened first. You- you may not feel the same afterwards.”

Alec almost felt bad for destroying the tranquillity that Magnus had constructed, despite Alec’s reason for calling looming over them. He distantly heard Magnus settle down on the edge of the cot in his cell with sigh. “Hit me”, he said simply.

Alec bit his lip nervously. “Me and Raph, we were playing a game of poker when-”, he groaned, burying his face in his hands. “This guy won the game”, Alec said from between his fingers.

Magnus hummed quietly. “Okay.”

“He won $50,000.”

Magnus choked on air, coughing violently in surprise. “How much?!”

Alec nodded, looking up at the phone as he spoke. “Yeah, $50,000 and- and I knew I couldn’t lose out on that much. That could be your entire bail amount right there and… I just couldn’t risk it.”

Magnus immediately calmed down at Alec’s tone. “Okay”, he said simply, encouraging Alec to continue.

“So, I stayed behind with the guy. He’d- he’d been flirting with me the entire game so I figured maybe I could seduce the money from him, y’know?”

There was a pregnant pause in which Alec grew anxious. He darted his eye to Catarina, who was watching the phone with a similarly nervous face. Alec took a deep breath, looking away from her and back to the device.

“Okay…”, Magnus finally said, clearly hesitant as to where the story was going.

Alec closed his eyes. “And well… he refused to give it to me but he invited me back to his hotel room and… I went.”

Magnus was silent on the other end of the call, the sound from his end so minimal yet so loud as it echoed in Alec’s ears.

“Okay”, Magnus said. Alec could tell from the way he spoke that Magnus was growing uncomfortable, maybe even angry, and that he was gritting his teeth.

“I- I just planned to take the money when he wasn’t looking but the second the hotel room closed behind me, he- he started kissing me a-and touching me”, Alec said hesitantly.

Catarina watched Alec nervously; she trusted Magnus and more than anyone she knew that he would give Alec the benefit of the doubt, but even she could hear the betrayal in his voice when he encouraged Alec to continue.

“I-I didn’t stop him. I was going to let him-”, Alec stopped himself, reluctant to say it. “-But Simon contacted me and told me to just placate him and distract him so I did. I let him… kiss my neck and touch my sides. He- he said things to me and I- I let him p-push me against the wall. I lied and told him I was a virgin and that- well, that I needed him to use a condom and at first I thought he wasn’t going to listen, that maybe he would just force himself upon me but- but he didn’t. He left to buy condoms in the gift shop and I- I grabbed the money and left. I swear that’s all that happened.”

There was silence that lasted so long that after the first minute or so, Alec had to check the phone to make sure the call hadn’t been cancelled but to his surprise it was still very much connected. He didn’t dare look at Cat- he didn’t deserve her sympathy right now.

“Magnus?” he finally whispered, desperate for some sort of response.

He heard Magnus’ laboured breathing on the other end of the phone before the older man appeared to take a deep breath.

“Are you okay, Alexander?”

Alec startled slightly. That hadn’t been quite what he was expecting. “Y-yes, why?”

“Are you? Because you sound upset?”

“No”, Alec hastily reassured him. “I’m not, I just- I was disappointed in myself for even thinking about… that. I just- I just really needed to tell you. I couldn’t deal with not telling you.”

Magnus hummed thoughtfully and after a moment he sighed. “I appreciate you telling me, Alec.”

“Don’t”, Alec quickly interrupted.

“What?”

“Don’t call me that. You only call me that when you’re angry. Are you angry?”

Magnus sighed on the other end. “I’m not angry. I’m thankful you didn’t let it get too far and… when I see you, I’ll just have to remind you that only I’m allowed to do those things to you.”

Alec ignored the blush blooming on his cheeks and Catarina’s gasp as she quickly looked away from the device, as though it might protect her ears from Magnus’ words.

“Mags”, Alec laughed softly. “Are you- are you sure you’re not angry?”

“Yes”, Magnus said firmly. “I’m jealous. Literally green, almost- it really doesn’t match my outfit. But… I’m glad you told me, Alexander. I appreciate your honesty and quite frankly it just makes me miss you more.”

“But”, Alec paused. He couldn’t understand what was happening, couldn’t grasp Magnus’ acceptance of what had happened. “I was going to have sex with him, if I had to…. That doesn’t- you aren’t angry at me for that?”

Magnus clicked his tongue in thought. “It doesn’t make me angry, Alexander. It worries me- the lengths you’ll go to for this money. I don’t want you hurting yourself just to get me out.”

“But-”

“-No buts”, Magnus interrupted, his voice growing tense. “I’m serious, Alexander. Stop being so damn self-sacrificing all the time.”

Alec gaped at the phone. He ignored the weight of Catarina’s stare. “What?”

Magnus laughed humourlessly. “Do you understand how scary it is to know that the man you love is always ready to sacrifice his happiness, comfort and safety for something as stupid as bail money?”

“Getting you out of there isn’t stupid, Magnus”, Alec insisted. “It’s the most important thing at the moment.”

“No”, Magnus growled, growing angry. “The most important thing right now is your safety. It’s you, always you.”

“To you maybe”, Alec said. He turned to face the phone completely and after a moment of debating, turned the phone off speaker and put it to his ear. “But to me, you’re the most important thing right now.”

“Alec”, Magnus said angrily. “I don’t care what you want. I care about you being safe.”

“Will you stop?” Alec demanded loudly, standing from the toilet, where he had been sitting on the lid. “All that matters is that I got the money, and with whatever the guys won we should have enough for your bail.”

“By the Angel, Alec” Magnus sighed. “Will you please learn to care more about yourself?”

“I do, Magnus. I just care about you mo-”

“No”, Magnus interrupted. “You don’t get it. You are the most important thing in my life, Alexander. I have never felt like this in my life and the way I feel about you scares the shit out of me because I couldn’t survive without you. You’ve buried yourself under my skin Alec Lightwood, and no amount of digging and scratching can get you out. If I lost you, or you got hurt, that would be it. Because you are it for me. You are my future- all of it. So, if you even remotely care about me then you’ll learn to look after yourself because if something happens to you then I…. I wouldn’t be able to survive that. Please.”

Alec stood frozen for a moment and took a deep, uneven breath as he fought back tears. “God”, he sighed, stumbling until he settled back against the wall. “You have no idea how much I adore you.”

“About as much as I adore you, I’d wager.”

“Good guess”, Alec laughed softly. “I’m sorry.”

Magnus hummed. “Me too”, he said tenderly. “When I get out of here Alexander… I’m seriously going to have to remind you how important you are to me.”

“You’re welcome to”, Alec teased, a smile blossoming on his face as he closed his eyes at the heart-warming sound of Magnus laughing.

“I’ll hold you to that, baby.”

“Did you have to?” Alec pleaded, laughing.

Magnus chuckled. “Of course. It’s hilarious how one word can get to you so easily. We’ll have to make sure that it doesn’t get out that ‘baby’ is your weakness or your enemies could just say that and turn your legs to jelly.”

Alec snorted. “It’s only when you say it”, he giggled.

“And that’s why I don’t care what creepy poker guy did”, Magnus said, as though it were the simplest thing in the world. “I know that no matter who touches you, whether it’s poker guy or Camille, you are mine and I am yours.”

“Agreed”, Alec said breathlessly. His eyes fluttered open and he immediately noticed that Catarina had left, presumably to give them privacy. “How long have we been on the phone?”

Magnus made a sound of confusion. “No idea”, he said uselessly. “Maybe 15 minutes?”

Alec groaned. “Don’t worry then.”

“Alexander!” Magnus sounded scandalised. “What were you planned to do if we had more time?”

Alec laughed as he shook his head. “Nothing you need concern yourself with, Magnus.”

“Damn you Lightwood”, Magnus groaned joyfully. “I really, really hate that I love you so much.”

Alec snorted. “Well, thanks.”

“No problem beautiful. Now… I’m going to go because that officer is coming back and I’m not sure I can withstand talking to you without flirting. And I’m pretty sure flirting with my lawyer will raise a few eyebrows.”

“Okay, Mags”, Alec giggled wholeheartedly.

Magnus groaned at the sound, and Alec knew that his boyfriend was smiling unabashedly.

“I love you, Magnus Bane”, Alec said wistfully.

“And I you, Alexander.”

There was quiet shuffling and Alec heard Magnus say something to the officer before the phone was passed back through the bars. Alec winced at the echoed noise that followed the phone accidently tapping the metal of the cell bars before the officer accepted it.

There was a moment of quiet and all Alec could hear was the officer walking from the cell before he was spoken to once more.

“Mr Lightwood?”

“Yes?” Alec answered automatically. He immediately realised his mistake- he was supposed to be Magnus’s lawyer, not his boyfriend. Cursing internally, Alec prayed that the officer didn’t pick up on his slipup.

There was silence for a moment before Alec realised what happened. He frowned slightly. “Wait, how do you know my name?”

He could distinctly hear the officer breathing but he didn’t speak for a moment. Alec felt fear bubbling away in the pit of his stomach.

“He knows everything.”

Alec’s breath caught and he quickly pushed off the wall. “Who’s _he_?”

“Well that would just ruin the whole game, wouldn’t it, Lightwood?”

Alec felt his vision blurring as tears welled in his eyes. His heart raced and he quickly grasped the sink to support himself. “Who is this?” he demanded.

“That’s hardly something to concern yourself with Mr Lightwood. But hurry… for he is growing impatient and might just take matters into his own hands. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to Magnus now, would we?”

Alec gasped. “Don’t. Don’t hurt him.”

Silence echoed down the line.

 

 

“Ready or not”, the officer whispered menacingly. “Here he comes.”

 

* * *

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my days..... guyyssss..... we're almost there.... almost at chapter 10. Just one more week until all of this blows up in your faces *evil laugh* I cannot wait for you to read that.... oh boy!
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you thought of this one! Your kudos and comments are much appreciated <3
> 
> See you next week..... 
> 
> p.s. I'll probably be posting a chapter 10 sneak peek in the next couple of days so be sure to follow my tumblr (justmagnusbane) so you dont miss out :D


	10. Ready or Not, Here He Comes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus's bail is finally paid and he can return home. But how much of a home will he even have left?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOoooh! Here we are guys, chapter 10! This is a dramatic one but next chapter is also going to be a really dramatic one. I will say, next week's chapter will probably make you cry. It made me cry just writing it. 
> 
> But anyway! For now, enjoy this one! 
> 
> WARNINGS: Violence

_5 years ago_

 

 

If there was one thing that Camille had quickly learned about her boss, it was that he loved playing games. After seeing Asmodeus beg for his son's life in the wake of watching his wife's slaughter, he had come forward to torment the man by revealing the true fate of his wife and son. Watching a man as feared and infamous as Asmodeus Bane weep at the revelation his wife had been dead for years without his knowledge, the woman he had seen killed a mere attempt at torture, was life-altering. 

It instilled in Camille a new fear of her boss. She had always known he was dangerous, but the power he wielded was truly inconceivable. 

So, after so long of being stuck under his heel, Camille had grown to be rather good at blending in. When in the room with him, it was best to blend into the background lest you draw attention to yourself. If you had his attention, you no doubt would soon have his fury raining down on you for his own sadistic pleasure. 

As a result, sneaking away from the commotion was easy. 

Camille made quick work of the lock on the door that led to her freedom, slipping out of the room. She tried her best to not listen to the screams as she went, conscious of how they would echo in her mind endlessly if she allowed herself to acknowledge them. 

The room she entered was small and most likely an old storage cupboard. She didn't care. All she cared about was not being in that room. Blood had always made her somewhat nauseous and the veil of red that covered every inch of that room had forced her to escape. She couldn't bare the sight any longer. 

Camille stood silently, waiting for the sound of screams to stop. After what felt like a decade, the door to her small escape closet swung open. 

Without so much as raising her head, Camille braced herself, aware of who had joined her. 

"How are you feeling, love?" 

Camille grimaced at the affectionate name. After a pregnant pause, she shrugged. 

"I know you're not a fan of that", he continued, his English accent laced with amusement. "Rather surprising considering your past behaviour."

Camille rubbed the scar on her wrist nervously, biting her lip to refrain from saying something that might upset him. "You're right, I'm not a fan", she said slowly, aware that anything could potentially trigger a poor response from him. 

He laughed deeply. "Oh Camila, you amuse me. Now, come and help me clean up this mess."

Camille felt her stomach turn but simply nodded. After a moment when he still didn't move, she raised her head to meet his gaze. 

"Better yet", he smirked, staring deep into her eyes as though literally seeing inside her. "I'll leave you to deal with this mess. I have more important things to deal with."

Camille sighed but once more her response was limited to a simple nod. "Of course, sir."

There was a pause before he grinned, obviously elated. "Wonderful!" he cheered, clapping his hands together in celebration. "Off to it then beautiful."

Camille pointedly ignored his leer as she walked ahead of him back into the room, gagging slightly on the tangy, coppery smell that permeated the air. He chuckled behind her and something in her flicked. With as much composure as possible, she forced herself to proceed. 

The only way to survive him was to shut up and do what he asked. So Camille would. For now. 

 

 

* * *

 

Alec wasn't sure if he was supposed to feel relief as everyone piled back into the RV, bags heavy with cash. 

Admittedly there was an unmistakable feeling of pride brewing in his chest; after all they had easily obtained enough money to bail Magnus out and pay Meliorn back for the equipment and Alec was allowed to be pleased. But the strange sense of impending doom lingered over him, tainting everything. 

Things were going too well right now and he knew it would all blow up in his face at some point. And he suspected it would be soon. 

"Will you stop sulking", Jace teased softly, nudging Alec's arm with his elbow. 

Alec spared him a smile but he feared it came out a little forced. "Just waiting for something to go wrong, I guess", Alec sighed. "This feels too easy. We're never this lucky."

Jace huffed in displeasure. "Look, brother; I'm sure everything will be fine. Maybe you'll contract some sort of disease from those contacts and that's the bad luck you're sensing."

Alec knew his brother was only joking but his laugh came out just as forced and broken as his smile. “Yeah, maybe.”

Jace watched his older brother for a moment in silence, and spared a thought for how much his brother had gone through. Just hours before, the fear that had propelled him and Izzy across the streets of Las Vegas to get to his side, reminded Jace that his brother had been through a lot. Too much at this point, and the eldest Lightwood was the worst when it came to opening up and speaking his mind.

For as long as Jace could remember, Alec had never been an open person. He had taken the role of big brother very seriously, constantly putting them first and endlessly sacrificing his time and happiness for the benefit of his siblings.

Jace wasn’t blind; he knew that Alec had been suppressing his emotions surrounding Magnus’s arrest and even as far back as Camille’s attempt to rape him, because he felt like it was best for everyone to remain the stoic leader figure.

For someone who often thought of himself as Alec’s other half – especially before Magnus came along – Jace prided himself on knowing his big brother and best friend like no one ever had. Even Magnus, Jace suspected, couldn’t read Alec Lightwood like he could.

“I won’t pressure you to talk when I know you don’t want to”, Jace began cautiously. Alec cast him a glance that pleaded him not to talk, but Jace ignored it as he often did. “I love you, Alec. I’m here if and when you need someone to rant to, and if you just want someone to forget it happened with you, I’m always happy to distract you with a good old sparring session.”

Alec’s lips quirked unmistakably into a smile and Jace smirked in response. “Seriously, Alec. I’m here if you need me.”

“I know”, Alec said softly. The look he sent Jace was laced with such intense adoration that Jace had to look away for fear that his brother see similar feelings mirrored in his.

“Thank you.”

“No problem”, Jace said cheerfully, sitting forward in the chair he was perched on. “Are you ready to go?”

Alec nodded, appreciating the diversion in the conversation. He suspected Jace wanted to have a serious discussion about as much as he did right now.

“Is everyone else?” he asked sarcastically, nodding to the empty RV.

Jace snorted. “We do seem to be the only ones in any rush, huh?”

Alec smirked at his younger sibling. “I’ll go hurry them up.”

“Of course,” Jace teased. “We wouldn’t want to make Magnus wait like… 5 more minutes or anything.”

Alec ignored Jace’s gaze, waving him away dismissively. He proceeded to stick his head out of the window, calling down to the rest of the group who were busy dawdling outside. “Hurry up!” he called simply.

It was evidently enough, for everyone immediately turned to him and – as though reminded that they had somewhere to be - quickly abandoned their conversations and lugged their bags onto the RV.

Raphael slapped Alec’s shoulder in a brotherly fashion as he passed. “Let’s go get my pain-in-the-ass older brother out of prison”, he said.

Alec laughed at his friend’s cheerfulness. “Let’s”, he agreed easily.

 

 

* * *

 

“If I recall correctly, the sky is a vaguely blue colour and my boyfriend’s lips are… possibly pink but let’s be honest here; do I even remember what the colour pink is”, Magnus rambled. “What with being stuck in this cell surrounded by white walls for so damn long!”

Graham rolled his eyes at Magnus’s typical dramatics. “Will you relax and be a little patient? They’re on their way back- Alec has already text Luke.”

Magnus swung on one of the bars of the cell, grinning at Graham. “Isn’t that wonderful news!”

“You’ve gone mad”, Graham gaped as he watched Magnus swing cheerfully, a stark contrast to the angry shouts of him just seconds earlier.

“I know”, Magnus snorted. “I really do think it’s these white walls… so plain.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’ll be back home soon where you’ll be able to indulge yourself in an endless supply of colourful walls”, Graham chuckled, pleased at Magnus’s obvious excitement to be out of the precinct.

Magnus paused, raising an eyebrow at the police officer. “I don’t think red can be described as ‘colourful’, Graham. You’re just dreadfully unadventurous.”

Dismissing the insult as nothing more than Magnus’s typical teasing, Graham watched as the Asian man paced his small cell with impatience.

“Is it actually legal to keep me here as long as I have been? Surely I should have been transferred or something, or something should have happened besides that brief court visit to set the bail money”, Magnus pondered. “Maybe I’ll sue.”

“I wouldn’t recommend wasting your time doing such a thing”, an additional voice added.

Magnus grinned, watching as Luke approached the cell with his hand outstretched. Without further hesitation, Magnus snatched the phone from the officer’s grasp and looked down at the message displayed.

 

_From A.Lightwood_

_11:43am_

_We’ve just left. Tell him we won’t be long._

_Also, can you meet us back at Magnus’ place? We want to get the bail sorted out ASAP._

_To A.Lightwood_

_12:06pm_

_No problem, Alec. Are you going to need to head to meet Meliorn?_

_From A.Lightwood_

_12:09pm_

_Yeah, but it shouldn’t take long. We’ll transfer the money to Clary’s bank like we said and while you guys pay the bail I’ll go and give him his share. I’ll be back before we’re ready to go get Magnus._

_To A.Lightwood_

_12:13pm_

_Good, I think someone is growing a little impatient._

_From A.Lightwood_

_12:13pm_

_Doesn’t surprise me._

_Tell him I miss him but I’ll see him really soon._

_To A.Lightwood_

_12:16pm_

_Will do, Alec. See you soon._

_From A.Lightwood_

_12:17pm_

_See ya_

Magnus looked back at Luke with a grin wide enough to challenge even the Cheshire cat. “I hope everyone has a place to stay tonight”, he said coyly. “Alexander and I are going to need that apartment to ourselves for a while.”

“I don’t even want to know”, Graham quickly interrupted before Magnus could elaborate.

“I’m sure you can use your imagination”, Magnus teased as he handed Luke his phone.

Luke grimaced. “No thank you, Magnus. I think that’s enough of that.”

Magnus laughed when Luke spun on his heel and exited the hall quickly. Turning to Graham, he noticed the officer preparing to leave too.

“Ah, you too?”

Graham smiled at Magnus as he straightened out his jacket. “Just a bit longer and I’m pretty sure you won’t be asking me to stick around, Magnus.”

“Not unless you’re desperate to see Alexander naked”, Magnus said quickly, before Graham could stop him.

The officer groaned loudly, tossing his head back in exasperation. “I truly despise you, Magnus Bane.”

Magnus’s laughter echoed the halls and followed Graham from the area as he left to go and prepare everything for Magnus’s release.

 

 

 

* * *

 

_3 years ago_

Camille stared down at the letters embroidered across her wrist like a stamp. They drew the eye when uncovered from the thick layers of makeup that usually covered them.

Fresh from the shower, Camille couldn’t help herself. Despite them being a constant fixture of her body, they still intrigued Camille when she allowed her attention to divert to them.

The letters were relatively easy to read although sometimes the _S_ looked an awful lot like a _B_ due to the jagged lines that knife had made when cutting into her skin. Running her finger across them gave the illusion that they were simple scars but deep-down Camille knew that the damage to her wrist was perfectly orchestrated to never heal; they weren’t normal scars.

Despite the fact that they were designed to be distinguishable, Camille had made it a habit to never really read them. Doing so reminded her that for all intents and purposes she was someone’s property and that no amount of scrubbing or picking or slicing could alter the raised skin on her wrist.

At some point years ago, Camille had strongly considered getting a tattoo to cover the ugly marks but when informed that even a tattoo couldn’t perfectly conceal them she had decided not to waste her time. Time was, after all, precious when you were on the run.

She smiled as she ran her fingers over the skin, a sense of power resonating through her as she thought about the revenge she would soon enact. After so long under his watchful eye, Camille had slipped away undetected and she was more than ready to make him aware of her presence again.

And she would do so in a spectacular way.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“What do you think we’ll do after we get him out?”

Raphael looked down at his boyfriend with a small but genuine smile as he carded his fingers through the brunet’s hair. He hummed thoughtfully. “I truly don’t know yet, Si.”

Simon nodded absentmindedly, looking across the bedroom of the RV to the door. “Are you as worried about Alec as I am?”

Somewhat startled by the question, Raphael froze. His hand tensed slightly before eventually resuming its gentle tugging of Simon’s short hair.

“I’m always worried about Alec.”

Simon sighed, clearly displeased with the response he had received. “You know that I can read you like a book, right? That I can tell just how scared for your best friend you are?”

“Of course I know that”, Raphael said dismissively.

“Then you probably already know how worried I am for you”, Simon added softly.

Raphael went quiet, looking down at his boyfriend from where he hovered above him on the soft sheets. He watched his lover for a moment, digesting the look in the other man’s eye. There was some unspoken moment between them, as though without words both men were screaming their feelings to one another across the space that separated them. Words weren’t required when Raphael was with Simon; he often came up short on them anyway so truly, what use would it be to waste his breath trying to construct sentences in his boyfriend’s company.

Raphael hoped that Simon could see the message he sent with his eyes. From the way that Simon noticeably relaxed, Raphael knew that he had understood.

“No one has ever adored another human being the way I adore you”, Raphael whispered between them.

Simon seemed as startled as Raphael at the words- after all, Raphael wasn’t one well known for his romantic side.

“One person has”, Simon insisted, smiling up at Raphael.

Raphael rolled his eyes. “It’s weird now, shut up.”

Simon’s face burst into a smile as he laughed. “You’re so annoying”, he sighed.

“Don’t talk. Give me a moment to re-establish my normal demeanour”, Raphael said as he straightened his face and settled into his typical resting bitch face.

Simon watched him with a grin. “Just so you know”, he said as he slipped out from under his boyfriend’s body. “I love you too, idiot.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Before long, they had arrived home and the anticipation of what was about to come had livened up the group. Alec had admittedly become impatient and his fidgeting had soon pissed his brother off enough that he received a rather painful slap, but even if they refused to admit it, everyone was just as excited.

The moment Cat had parked the RV in the garage, Alec had shot from his seat and thrown open the doors, racing ahead to Magnus’ apartment without a word.

Izzy laughed as she watched her brother disappear into the apartment. “Someone’s ready to get their boyfriend back”, she giggled.

Despite the teasing, Izzy couldn’t blame her brother for his uncontrollable excitement. If it were Clary, Izzy suspected she would be the same. Maybe even worse.

As though she knew she was being thought about, Clary stole Isabelle’s attention by grasping her hand. “I’ve text Luke”, she said by way of greeting.

Izzy nodded. “Good. Is he on his way over?”

“Not yet”, Clary sighed. “He finishes in like 20 minutes so he’ll leave then.”

“Let’s hope my brother can wait that long”, the youngest Lightwood laughed as she pulled her girlfriend from the RV.

“Isn’t he meeting Meliorn?” Clary asked softly as she followed Isabelle and the others up to Cat and Magnus’s apartment.

Jace nodded from where he stood beside them, carrying multiple bags. “They’re meeting in 10 minutes”, he informed.

“Does he have the money ready?”

Jace nodded to his sister. “Yeah, he took a couple grand in one of the briefcases before we deposited it in Clary’s account.”

“This is the first I haven’t been in my overdraft”, the redhead giggled as she followed the others up the steps of the apartment.

“I’m sure it’ll welcome you back with open arms after we pay the bail”, Maia joked as she slipped past Clary on her way into the living room.

Clary laughed. “Probably.”

The group, after dumping their bags in their respective rooms, congregated to the main room to relax. After a moment or two, Alec darted from Magnus’ room, slipping his arms into a jacket.

He nodded to the drinks the group held. “Thanks but I’m not thirsty”, he said sarcastically.

Izzy rolled her eyes affectionately at her big brother. “You can have one when you get back from meeting Meliorn”, she promised.

Alec hummed in approval and he slipped on a different pair of shoes. Dressed more appropriately than before – after all, joggers and a sweatshirt weren’t exactly the clothes to wear to a business exchange – Alec ducked to grab the briefcase.

“That a promise?”

“Yep”, Izzy vowed, nodding her head.

Alec smiled at his little sister. “Good”, he joked. “I’ll be back as soon as possible. No one get drunk because we still have to go get Magnus later.”

“Trust me Alec, we haven’t forgotten”, Catarina teased, leaning back in the armchair to observe her friend.

Alec winked at her, much to everyone’s surprise. “See you later”, he said simply before darting out of the room.

After a moment there was a resounding slam as the door to the apartment closed behind him.

“I think he’s a little more excited than originally thought”, Catarina laughed joyously.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I will say I’m impressed, Lightwood”, Meliorn said in approval as he surveyed the contents of the briefcase with a raised eyebrow.

Alec knew that the money inside was more than technically necessary but, still somewhat cautious of the man, Alec was eager to get on his good side. The sense of pride returned at Meliorn’s words and he grinned.

“Thank you”, he said humbly, nodding.

Meliorn looked up at him from where he was perched on the park bench. They were in their usual meeting place; the park that they had first met. Although at first Alec had been reluctant to hand over such a hefty sum of money in a public place, Meliorn had insisted.

“This is more than you owe me, Alec Lightwood.”

Alec, despite growing as uncomfortable as always at the use of his full name, shrugged. “Think of it as a bonus, or pre-payment should we ever need your help like this again.”

Meliorn nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you”, he said simply. He wasn’t a man of many words in his defence, Alec thought.

“Now I assume you shall be removing Magnus from his current location?”

“Yes”, Alec said, trying to ignore his growing excitement. He shuffled on his feet slightly as the anticipation built inside him.

Meliorn surveyed him closely. “How are you doing so without drawing attention?”

“We have a plan”, Alec said straightforwardly. Meliorn simply hummed in response.

“Be careful, Alec Lightwood. Do not be a fool.”

Alec frowned slightly, but despite the growing tension in his shoulders, he spoke. “’Better a witty fool than a foolish wit’.”

Meliorn grinned slightly. “Shakespeare”, he said in approval. “As he also once said, ‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players-”

“-they have their exits and their entrances”, Alec finished.

Meliorn nodded. “Make your exit a grand one, my friend.”

Alec’s frown deepened. “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing”, the cryptic man said slowly. The way he watched Alec implied intrigue but Alec felt a strange sense of dread at the way that Meliorn seemed to observe him with such sad eyes.

Ignoring the fear bubbling away in his stomach, Alec stepped away from the other man. “I’ll see you soon, Meliorn.”

Meliorn didn’t respond, but simply tipped his head respectfully.

Alec hastily left the scene, confusion riddling his mind.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“That’s it?” Jace asked in surprise.

Luke raised his eyebrows at Jace, who settled back slightly. “What did you expect? You’re paying bail, not adopting a child.”

Jace shrugged, raising his hands in surrender. “I don’t have a lot of experience with bail, despite what you may think.”

Luke chuckled slightly, turning back to Alec, who was watching him impatiently. “Just head down to the station with this and you’ll be able to take him home.”

Alec grinned widely. “Thank you”, he said breathlessly, relieved. Luke nodded with a small smile.

“I’ll meet you all back here tomorrow morning before my shift to discuss where we go from here”, he said, before hugging Clary in farewell.

Alec shifted awkwardly. “But not like… too early, right?”

Luke laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, Alec. Magnus has already warned me that you’ll want some privacy. I won’t make it ridiculously early.”

Ignoring the shocked and amused gazes of his friends, Alec nodded gratefully. “See you then, Luke.”

When the door fluttered shut behind him, Alec stood from his seat and, blatantly ignoring his sister’s giggling, turned to Maia.

“Are we ready?”

Maia grinned, a blush heating up her cheeks as she obviously attempted to suppress a laugh. “We’re ready.”

Alec let out a breath, his smile uncontrollable. “Awesome”, he breathed.

“Come on everyone”, Izzy suddenly said, shooing everyone away from her brother. “Get yourselves ready. Alec, Maia, Raphael, Jace and I will head to the station in the van and you guys wait back here. We’ll be home in no time.”

Ragnor, who was typically the quiet one of the lot, _whooped_ loudly. Alec gaped at him but when he received a glare in response, he quickly looked away with a small smile.

It was finally all coming together. After all of the messing around and struggling to obtain the money and get everything ready, they were finally going to go and get Magnus. Having not touched or been held by his boyfriend in almost a month, Alec’s heartrate skyrocketed at the mere thought that in less than an hour Magnus would be home again.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Catarina hated the feeling of dread; it permeated every inch of your body until you shook with nerves and simultaneously grew tense with fear. She wasn’t sure why that was the emotion she felt when Alec, Izzy, Maia, Jace and Raphael left the apartment to go and finalise Magnus’ release but the moment the door closed she was overcome with it.

Perhaps it was the ease with which Magnus’ name was almost cleared – within weeks, tests had produced no conclusive evidence of his involvement in murdering Camille and his bail was reduced. With far too much luck than they could have ever comprehended, they had thrown together over $70,000 from just a few hours of messing around in a Vegas casino. The sheer amount of money they had won was already an eyebrow-raiser but the fact that they had done so in such a short amount of time made her feel like there was more than just luck on their side.

And luck always, always ran out.

Something inside her told her that the entire process of getting Magnus out of prison had been too easy; sure, he had been inside for almost a month but considering his steep bail price it was a wonder he hadn’t been stuck in there until a trial.

Then, in a moment of panic, Catarina couldn’t help but ask herself what happened now. What were they planning to do now, while they waited for Magnus’ trial? Were they planning to find and hunt down this guy after Magnus? Were they going to try and dig up more information, which was likely impossible at this point? Would they flee so Magnus wouldn’t need to go to trial?

And why was she the only one panicking?

Looking around her at the people she had grown to care deeply for, Catarina’s doubt returned. She couldn’t lose these people- they had grown to be like family to her, especially in the past few weeks. Thinking of her best friend, she smiled in anticipation at seeing him again. She couldn’t lose Magnus.

And almost just as importantly, she couldn’t lose Alec. In the past weeks she had grown to know and appreciate Alec in a way she had never expected. When Alec and Magnus had first got together – hell, when Magnus had first asked to swap RVs so he could drive the one Alec was in – Catarina had shown about as much interest in the eldest Lightwood as she would any other person Magnus was interested in. Which wasn’t a lot considering they were typically gone after a few hours; after Camille he had grown to quite enjoy female company and hadn’t been shy in his pursuit of many different women, whether sexual in nature or not.

When they had first gotten together, Catarina had panicked. Magnus’ only real experience with a man had not been a pleasant one and polluted the man’s idea of gay relationships for many years. Growing close to Alec over the months they had spent together had enlightened her, and she saw in him more than just a love interest for her friend, but also a good man.

The people around her had grown important to her, and the sense of fear that plagued her was starting to make her anxious for her friends to return.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Raphael watched his best friend with amusement; he had always found Alec’s awkward nature a rather entertaining one and it never failed to impress him just how much of a socially awkward idiot his best friend could be. Over the years he had grown used to it, but even now it still surprised him just how much he adored that side of Alec.

He watched as Alec spoke to Maia about the plan, hashing out the details of which street cameras would be disabled, which exits were covered, where Jace would park the car. Hearing his best friend ramble, his feet shifting left to right as he grew more and more excited, Raphael felt that same surge of pride and love for the man he considered his brother just as much, if not more so, than he considered Magnus to be his blood.

Alec and Maia appeared to agree on a plan for Alec nodded to his siblings who, without hesitation, climbed into the front of Simon’s terribly old van. Ignoring the sense of affectionate exasperation he felt when thinking about the fact that his boyfriend still kept this tin can of a vehicle, Raphael climbed into the back with Alec and Maia.

Maia immediately began typing away and fiddling with her laptop, a crease between her brows as she concentrated.

Alec sat on the floor of the van opposite Raphael, stretching out his legs with a sigh.

The van slowly rumbled to life and after a moment, Raphael swayed with the motion of the car as it pulled away from the curb.

He looked across at Alec and smiled unintentionally at how his friend repeatedly checked his phone, as though hours were flickering by with every passing second.

“Will you relax? You’re making me jittery”, Maia said without looking up from the laptop screen.

Alec froze, looking up at her sheepishly. “Oh, sorry.”

Raphael rolled his eyes uncontrollably. “Alec, will you calm down? Everything is going to be fine.”

Alec nodded although he seemed completely unconvinced. Looking down at his hands, he sighed. “I know, it’s just weird. We’re finally bringing him home after what feels like forever. I just… can’t believe it’s finally happening.”

“I’m sure he’d be flattered to know you’re so excited.”

Alec grinned at him. “Don’t tell him. His head is big enough as it is.”

“I’ve always told him the same; it was rather disproportionate to his body when he was young”, Raphael teased.

Snorting, Alec looked away to hide his smile. “I won’t tell him you said that”, he laughed.

“Probably best”, Raphael said with an exaggerated eyeroll.

Alec watched him for a moment before a content and peaceful smile broke out on his face. Raphael raised his eyebrows in question but Alec simply chuckled. “It’s nothing. I just- I can tell you’re excited to see him too because you’re being friendly right now.”

Raphael recoiled as if burned. “I am not”, he said indignantly. “I have never been friendly in my life and I refuse to start now.”

“Too late.”

“No, it’s not”, Raphael insisted. “Keep talking and I’ll steal the money and we’ll never get him out.”

Alec hummed. “Of course, you would.”

Raphael pointedly ignored Alec’s sarcasm and nodded in agreement.

“You know, it doesn’t hurt to just admit you’ve missed him”, Alec said softly.

Suppressing his instinct to be sarcastic, Raphael simply shrugged. “I survived years without him, this was nothing”, he lied.

Alec, having always been perfectly in tune with his emotions, raised his eyebrows in disbelief. Raphael waved him away dismissively.

“Either way”, Raphael eventually sighed. “I didn’t miss him as much as you did.”

“No”, Alec agreed with a small coy smile. “But then again that’s not really possible.”

Raphael hummed like Alec did earlier, grinning slowly at the laugh it drew from his friend. “I suspect you’re right.”

Alec giggled under his breath as he settled back against the side of the van. He watched Raphael curiously, as though a rare thought had crossed his mind that he was attempting to decipher the answer to. “Are you happy, Raph?”

Raphael stared at Alec with more composure than he had expected. “What?”

Alec sighed, rolling his head back to look up at the roof of the van. “I just mean… I’m happy, really happy. I wondered if you were too?”

“Where has this come from?”

“Maybe the knowledge I’ll be seeing Magnus soon is making me nostalgic”, Alec shrugged.

Silence settled between them and for a moment Raphael forgot they weren’t alone. He stretched his legs out slightly, staring at Alec. “I’m not answering that question.”

Alec immediately sat up, offended. “What? Why? I tell you everything!”

“Liar”, Raphael said, rolling his eyes. “What about that time with the model?”

Alec laughed, rolling his eyes much like Raphael had and once more he was reminded why he had befriended the eldest Lightwood all those years ago; they were so damn similar.

“Okay but that was one time”, Alec said.

Raphael shrugged. “Still.”

“No, I mean it. C’mon Raph”, Alec sighed dramatically, staring at Raphael with what Isabelle called his ‘kicked puppy’ eyes.

“What?” Raphael asked in exasperation. He purposely ignored Alec’s gaze, which somehow always managed to crack his perfect composure.

Alec groaned loudly. “Just answer my question before it gets awkward. Come on, please.”

Raphael forced himself to not roll his eyes despite the ache to do so. He sighed, looking at Alec with eyes that explicitly reminded him of how much of a pain in the ass he was. Alec simply smiled in response.

“Yes”, Raphael sighed. “I’m happy. Happy now?”

“Ecstatic”, Alec grinned playfully.

Revelling in the smile that had been absent from Alec’s face for so long now, Raphael responded in kind. Ignoring Maia’s obvious amusement, he took a moment to really appreciate the moment he and Alec had just shared. With everyone under one roof, having any alone time with the man he technically lived with had grown ridiculously hard.

It was nice. He knew there was a reason Alexander Lightwood was his best friend.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Anticipation rose in Alec like a cake in the oven – he paused momentarily to laugh at the metaphor his mind supplied – and he couldn’t stop bouncing on his feet as he waited for the officer to return with confirmation of the payment.

Outside, parked to the left of the lot and tucked behind an even larger van, out of sight of the only remaining operating street camera, was Simon’s van. After agreeing that turning off the entire street’s cameras may seem suspicious, Maia and Alec had agreed to simply disable any camera that had the door to the station in its direct line of sight. As a result, three cameras were officially disabled and with strict instructions to avoid having Magnus’ facing North, they should get back to the van without any cameras detecting them.

Part of Alec thought they were probably overreacting considering they had no actual reason to believe they were being watched besides the obvious, but in regard to Magnus Alec would rather be safe than sorry.

The station was as drab as Alec remembered it from the first time they had visited after Magnus’ arrest and with his newfound knowledge that at least one of the police officers was on their enemy’s payroll, Alec felt incredibly uncomfortable.

When first arriving, he had been careful to ask directly for Officer Graham’s assistance. Since Luke wasn’t working, Graham was going to be the one to collect Magnus – for obvious reasons – while Alec reluctantly entrusted an unknown officer with the paperwork.

The officer hadn’t appeared to be very dangerous or even remotely interesting. In fact, Alec wondered why he had become an officer and not a kindergarten teacher; he suspected that most criminals would laugh in the face of the man before they surrendered to his authority.

But despite that, and despite logic, Alec was nervous. He was jittery and looked around him constantly, as though an officer might pounce on him any moment with more threats.

Alec looked up at Graham, who sighed impatiently.

Graham met his gaze and shrugged. “If he takes much longer I’ll go and do it myself.”

Alec immediately shook his head. “No, no… could you go check on Mags instead?”

“You sure?” Officer Pack asked kindly.

Alec nodded. “100%. I’ll sort out the rest here, but just go make sure he’s okay and that he’s ready, yeah?”

Nodding slowly, Graham relented and with a final smile to Alec, left the room and headed off to find Magnus.

Knowing he was no further than a few hundred feet from his boyfriend was really starting to unsettle Alec.

Moments before he was going to give up and groan loudly in exasperation, the officer returned.

“Sorry”, the burly man sighed. “All finished”, he announced, clapping his hands together.

Alec let out a breath of relief. “Awesome. Uh, Officer Pack just went to get him”, he said nervously, nodding in the direction Graham had headed.

The officer nodded in understanding before slumping down in the seat at the reception desk with a groan of pain.

“Excited?” he asked, evidently feeling awkward with silence.

Alec watched him cautiously but nodded as enthusiastically as possible. “Very.”

“Can’t say I wouldn’t say the same if my buddy had been locked up for weeks”, he chuckled nervously, reclining in his chair.

“Boyfriend”, Alec automatically corrected.

The officer looked at him in surprise and for a moment, glanced over Alec. Alec frowned slightly; what did he expect to see, the word ‘gay’ printed across his forehead?

The officer nodded slowly, looking away when he realised how tense Alec had grown. “Then I bet you’re even more excited”, he laughed awkwardly.

Alec smiled softly, wanting to alleviate any sense of guilt or embarrassment the officer might have felt, and nodded. “Yeah”, he chuckled.

There was a moment of silence between them before the officer opened his mouth to speak.

Before he could say anything else potentially awkward, a voice cut through the silence and instantly drew all of Alec’s attention.

“Alexander!”

Alec spun to face Officer Pack, who stood with a grin on his face and a pair of handcuffs dangling from his outstretched finger.

Beside him, looking as stunning as ever, was Magnus.

After days of not seeing him, something in Alec lit up and he felt an untameable desire to hold his boyfriend. He looked just as good as he had the day he had been arrested and every time Alec had seen him since. He had clearly been given access to a shower in the last few hours, for his hair was freshly washed and styled. He had a light speckling of stubble along his jaw but instead of looking out of place, it looked devastatingly attractive on him. Alec stared at the goatee his boyfriend sported and tried to suppress the urge to moan at being face-to-face with his lover again. Magnus wore the same tight-fitting clothes he wore the day of his arrest and even had eyeliner applied lightly to his lids.

Alec spared a thought for Luke, who had no doubt pulled some strings for his body-conscious boyfriend, before he propelled himself forward.

Magnus let out a laugh of surprise as he outstretched his arms, encompassing Alec in them the moment their bodies collided. Alec could hear the way Magnus’ voice shook as he chuckled and grinned into his boyfriend’s shoulder.

Alec could distinctly feel his boyfriend’s hand guide his head as Magnus buried his face in Alec’s neck. He felt the barely-there kiss Magnus pressed to his skin and laughed breathlessly.

“God, I missed you”, Alec gasped. The wind was knocked out of him at the onslaught of emotions that resulted from hearing Magnus laugh.

“I missed you more baby, trust me.”

Alec laughed, his eyes moist as he tightened his grip around Magnus’ neck. He felt Magnus squeeze his waist in response and sighed deeply at the feel of being wrapped in his boyfriend’s arms again.

“I love you so much”, Alec gasped breathlessly, hiding his face in Magnus’ shoulder as embarrassment flooded him.

Magnus giggled as he did the same, pressing his face to the warm skin of Alec’s neck with a content sigh. “I love you too, angel.”

After what simultaneously felt like too long but also too little time, Magnus pulled Alec away from him slightly.

Ignoring the embarrassment he felt when he realised where they were, Alec’s eyes fluttered closed and he leant into the hand Magnus pressed to his cheek.

“Let’s go home”, Magnus said softly, squeezing the hand Alec hadn’t even realised he had grasped.

Alec nodded in agreement, sparing Graham a smile before he turned to the door of the station and eagerly began to drag Magnus out.

The moment he passed the threshold of the station doors, Magnus moaned loudly. “Fresh air!” he cheered.

Alec beamed uncontrollably at his boyfriend before he remembered the cameras.

He hastily pulled Magnus to him, turning his boyfriend to face him. “Mags, you have to keep your head down, okay? Just two more seconds and then we’re in Simon’s van and you can be as loud and joyous as you want.”

Magnus looked slightly disappointed but didn’t hesitate to nod. He let Alec lead him to the familiar yellow van.

“So, who came with you?”

“Izzy, Raphael and Jace. And then Maia, to disable the cameras.”

Magnus hummed in acknowledgment. “It’ll be wonderful to see her! After all, it’s been so long since we last spoke.”

“She’s been amazing Magnus”, Alec confirmed with a prideful smile. “I don’t know what we’d do without all of her help.”

“I recommended her for a reason, love” Magnus said, chuckling at Alec’s excitement.

“Come on”, Alec huffed impatiently, hurrying Magnus along until they were face to face with the back doors of Simon’s van.

As though sensing they were there, the back doors immediately flung open and Raphael stumbled out.

“I don’t care about being seen”, he spat behind him, most likely at Maia, as he leaped from the vehicle.

Magnus quickly let go of Alec’s hand to welcome his brother into his arms with a cheerful cry of surprise. As someone who had never seen Raphael particularly happy, let alone hugging anyone beside Simon, Magnus took the opportunity to wrap his arms around his younger brother and squeeze him tightly.

“Raphael”, he sighed dreamily as he rocked them back and forth slightly.

Raphael breathed heavily in his ear. “Welcome back, Magnus” he said.

Magnus grinned. “Happy to be back.”

There were a few seconds that followed in which Magnus cherished their embrace before Raphael tore himself away and returned to the van without another word.

Magnus looked across at Alec with a raised eyebrow to which Alec only shrugged, smiling.

Shaking his head fondly, both men climbed into the back of the van, closing the door behind them.

“Magnus!” Izzy cried in excitement, spinning around in her seat to beam widely at him.

Magnus grinned, leaning forward to peck her cheek. “Oh, Isabelle”, he greeted warmly. “I’ve missed you, my dear.”

Izzy preened, grabbing and squeezing his hand firmly.

Magnus nodded to her in respect before shooting Jace a smirk. “Hey, blondie!”

Jace grinned as he pulled out of the parking spot and drove them away from the station. “Welcome back, Sparkles.”

“If that’s supposed to insult me, it failed”, Magnus said as he turned to sit back on the floor of the van.

Alec was quick to join him, pressing every inch of his body up against Magnus’ side with a sigh. Magnus grinned down at him as Alec snuggled into his body. He desperately tried to stop the fluttering of his heart at how sweet Alexander looked, but failed quickly and groaned.

“Stop being cute!” he complained.

Alec shot him a look, although there was no real heat behind it, before he pressed his chin to Magnus’ shoulder and raised his head in a deliberate request.

Magnus smiled as he met Alec’s eyes, licking his lips in anticipation before he leant down to press a kiss to Alec’s plump lips.

Having grown used to the lack of intimacy and physical affection being locked in a cell brought, Magnus was surprised by how natural and unexpectedly normal it felt to kiss Alexander.

Perhaps it would always be this way; their lips moulding their mouths together with barely contained hunger, teeth pulling at skin and tongues delving inside mouths with the intent to gently caress every inch of available skin. Magnus truly hoped that the novelty of kissing Alexander never faded and that every kiss stole his breath the way this one did.

When they eventually separated, Alec pressed his forehead to Magnus’.

“Hi from me too, Magnus.”

Magnus pulled away from Alec and followed the voice. When he spotted Maia sitting on a small box opposite him, he smiled. “Hello again, Maia! How wonderful to see you!”

Maia rolled her eyes but smiled back. “You can go back to sucking Alec’s face off now”, she teased.

Magnus ignored the way Alec whimpered in humiliation and hid his face in Magnus’ shoulder just as he had in the police station.

“I think I just might, thank you dear.”

Magnus laughed obnoxiously loudly when Raphael and Alec moaned in boredom and embarrassment respectively.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When the front door to the apartment opened, Catarina, Ragnor, Simon and Clary shot from their seats like bullets from a gun. Simon bounced up and down excitedly and Ragnor, despite trying his hardest to look unaffected, was grinning slightly.

“I’m back, bitches”, Magnus called, his voice resonating across the loft.

Catarina’s face tore into a grin as she darted forward the second she spotted Magnus in the doorway. He barely had a moment to prepare before his face was covered in white hair and he had a squealing woman in his arms.

Magnus laughed, walking her backwards in his arms slightly so he could let the others in. He faintly heard Clary and Simon welcoming him back and shouting their excitement but he was preoccupied with the feeling of damp against his neck.

Magnus, panicked, recoiled from Cat and held her at arm’s distance. “Hey, what’s wro-”

“-Never do that again!” Cat warned, tears running down her cheeks.

He gaped at her- just as he had never seen Raphael so excited, Magnus had never seen Catarina cry. She was always the composed one of the lot, the mother figure if you will.

“I don’t plan to”, Magnus finally said, pulling her back into a hug once more.

After giving her a moment to compose herself, Magnus pulled away and turned to Ragnor.

“Have you missed me too, my dear little cabbage?”

Ragnor rolled his eyes but pulled Magnus into a one-armed hug. “Oh don’t start”, he said fondly. “It’s good to have you back.”

“That’s a yes”, Magnus teased.

When Ragnor detached himself from Magnus and sat back down in the armchair, Magnus’ attention was stolen by a streak of red before he had a petite body wrapped around him like a snake.

“So many hugs”, Magnus said, pleasantly surprised by his welcome. “How have you been, biscuit?”

“Biscuit? Really?” Clary giggled as she pulled away.

“What’s wrong with that? Biscuits are great! They taste delicious and they make you smile”, Magnus said defensively, his eyes alight with humour.

Clary rolled her eyes but Izzy was the one who spoke. “Stop propositioning my girlfriend”, she teased, pulling Clary away.

“I didn’t mean it in that respect dear. I have no desire to taste Clarissa in any way, thank you very much. I have a very delectable, very attractive man to keep me busy-”

Before he could finish, Simon blocked his line of sight to Izzy. “This might be weird but I’m gonna do it anyway”, the brunet warned before he too enveloped Magnus in a hug.

Magnus stood frozen for a moment before he sighed and wrapped his arms around the nerd. “Good to see you too, Sheldon.”

“You know what, I’m so glad you’re back I’m not even offended you said my name wrong”, Simon smirked, pulling away and making his way to greet his boyfriend.

Magnus, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the affection he was receiving, sought out the one person he desperately desired to hold. When he spotted Alexander talking idly with Catarina, he leapt to his boyfriend, grabbing him firmly and pulling him against his chest.

Alec grunted in surprise, his back suddenly pulled against a firm chest. Ignoring his arousal at such closeness, Alec turned to look back at Magnus.

“Well hello”, he said sweetly as Magnus wrapped his long arms around Alec’s torso.

Magnus grinned, pressing his lips against Alec’s neck and dropping kisses across his shoulder. Alec shifted slightly, baring his neck but huffed indignantly.

“Really?”

Magnus pulled away slightly. “Something to complain about, Alexander?”

Alec rolled his eyes. “I was in the middle of a conversation”, he said, gesturing to Catarina.

“She understands”, Magnus shrugged, burying his head once more in Alec’s neck and lathering kisses across it.

“Jesus- Mags, come on. Sto- stop it, Mags”, Alec said, the fluttering kisses against his skin making him laugh.

“What if I don’t want to?” Magnus challenged, continuing his mission to plaster every inch of Alec’s skin in kisses. “Maybe this will convince everyone to bugger off.”

There was a distant groan as Jace spotted them. “Magnus! You’ve been home all of 5 minutes! Stop molesting my brother!”

Magnus glared at him. “Shut up, Blondie! Your brother is hot and I’ve been locked in a cell for 4 weeks! I’m allowed this.”

He distinctly heard his friend’s laugh before he felt Alec’s neck disappear from under his lips.

“Come on, Mags”, Alec sighed, detaching himself from Magnus. “We have all night.”

“Gross!” Jace cried in disgust, blocking his ears like a child.

Magnus and Alec both shot Jace a look and rolled their eyes at him. “Grow up, Jace”, Alec joked.

“Maybe I don’t want-”

Jace was suddenly cut off by the shrill ringing of someone’s phone. Everyone quietened, pulling out their devices to check if it was theirs. After a second, everyone looked amongst themselves in confusion.

“It’s not me”, Alec shrugged.

“Or me”, Izzy added, looking around her at everyone as they shook their heads.

Magnus snorted, “Well it’s hardly me. My phone has almost definitely died within the last 4 weeks.”

“Maybe not”, Alec sighed. He looked towards Magnus’ bedroom, where the sound was arguably originating.

Just then, there was a quiet but firm knock on the front door and Alec diverted his attention to it. Sighing, he turned to the bedroom.

“I’ll go grab Magnus’ phone, someone go answer the door”, he instructed, heading inside the room to retrieve the phone.

Cat quickly moved towards the door while Magnus and the other’s settled again. After a few moments, Catarina returned with a confused look in her eye and a box in her hands.

“Delivery”, she shrugged. “Anyone order anything?”

Everyone voiced a negative.

“Perhaps it was Alexander”, Magnus said simply, looking across as Alec joined them. “Your parcel’s here, baby.”

Alec looked up at his boyfriend from where he was staring down at the small device in his hands. He looked across at Cat and the box in her arms and shook his head. “Not me”, he said as he joined Magnus on the couch.

“I’ll check what it is”, Cat sighed, depositing it on the coffee table. “Maybe someone ordered it and forgot.” She turned to head into the kitchen, returning moments later with a small knife.

Magnus turned to his boyfriend who was watching the small black phone in his hands as though it had personally offended him. Magnus didn’t recognise the phone, and quickly voiced his confusion. “Whose is that?”

Alec’s frown deepened and he looked up and across the room to meet Isabelle’s curious gaze. “It was Camille’s. This was the phone that was ringing.”

Izzy stepped forwards and out of Clary’s arms. “Who was it?”

Alec shrugged. “No idea. I didn’t find it in time- missed the call.”

“Well maybe it’s just-”

The shrill blaring of the phone cut off Izzy’s voice and everyone looked down at the vibrating mobile in Alec’s hand. Catarina looked up distractedly from where she was prying apart the folds of the cardboard box.

Ragnor, who stood beside, stepped around her to observe Alec.

Raphael, Simon and Jace stepped forward as though the phone were a weapon.

Alec, staring down at the device, stood up abruptly. Magnus followed immediately, standing beside him and grasping his free hand tightly. “Alec?”

Alec ignored him, looking up at Izzy momentarily before he answered the phone and raised it to his ear cautiously.

“Hello?”

There was a faint white noise on the other end of the line before crackling could be heard. Alec contemplated hanging up, but waited just long enough to hear a voice greet him.

“Hello, Alec Lightwood”, a thick British accent echoed down the line.

Alec froze, eyes widening in panic. “Who is this? How do you know who I am?”

Alec’s heart sped to that of a humming bird as he waited patiently for a response. The last two times he had answered a phone and someone unknown had responded down the line, somehow knowing him despite his inability to place their voices. It was haunting and made him feel incredibly vulnerable.

“I like to keep track of my chess pieces, Alec”, the voice said simply, as though it were obvious.

He had a deep, refined voice and Alec couldn’t help picturing a slightly older man in his head, maybe 30. He sounded calm, as though he were performing a simple business transaction.

Alec ignored the looks he received from his family when he gasped slightly. “Is that what I am, then?”

“I like to think so”, the rich accented voice said. “But that’s irrelevant right now. We have more important issues.”

“Do we?”

The man hummed. “Well, you do.”

Alec felt his blood run cold. “What does that mean?”

“Did you get my package?”

Alec’s eyes darted helplessly to the cardboard box that Catarina was handling delicately, knife dangling from her hand and torn tape hanging from the sides of the box. He raised a hand immediately to encourage her to stop what she was doing.

Everyone froze, looking between Catarina and Alec.

“Alexander?” Magnus asked softly, his voice laced with panic.

Alec turned to him, eyes wide. “What’s in it?” he asked.

“A present”, the man said. He chuckled slightly. “Subsequently a warning.”

“A warning?”

He hummed once more. “Yes, a warning. Tell Magnus that I want what’s mine.”

Alec stared at his boyfriend, his lower lip quivering. “What does Magnus have that you want?”

Magnus’ eyes widened in realisation as he stared back at Alec.

“He knows”, the voice said simply. “Now, I must go Alec. Times up.”

“What? What do you-”

The loud echo of the dial tone silenced Alec and he pulled the phone away from his ear to stare down at the device in confusion.

“Times up?” he asked uselessly. “What the hell does that-”

If there was one thing Alec would remember for the rest of his life, it was the resounding noise that blasted around him, piercing his ears.

Heat surrounded him, encompassing him in flames as he was thrown backwards. Around him, everything went white and he was blinded by the light that resonated from the cardboard box as it was torn to pieces with the force of the explosion that originated from inside.

The explosion rocked the room and Alec faintly heard the distant sound of gunshots and splintering wood before he was thrown into the wall and everything went black.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUN..... So, what do you guys think?
> 
> who do you think survived?
> 
> who do you want to survive?
> 
> did ANYONE survive?
> 
> did anyone DIE?
> 
> who is the british guy?
> 
> .....find out next week angels *INSERT EVIL LAUGH*
> 
> Let me know what you thought down below. See you next week! <3 (follow my tumblr justmagnusbane for updates and sneak peaks)


	11. Don't Leave Me Like This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the bomb, everyone desperately attempts to find their loved ones. But who has even survived?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is slightly later than usual but I went to a university yesterday and it took longer than expected but here it is!
> 
> NOW, this chapter, in all honesty, made me cry as I was writing it. Maybe I'm a big baby or maybe it really is that sad, but I cant deal with all of my favourite characters being in pain and hurting so... this was tough to write. 
> 
> So, all I can say is get yourself a tissue and prepare for what may potentially be a pretty damn sad chapter. And in all honesty, the next chapter isn't much better. 
> 
>  
> 
> WARNINGS: Mentions of child abuse, Blood/Violence, Trauma, Character death, cute flashbacks followed by pain

The air around him was thick and heavy with smoke. Part of him wondered momentarily if the toxic smell around him was the smell of burning flesh, but he forced away such thoughts.

All Magnus could hear was screaming and at this stage he wasn’t even sure if he was the one making the noise. All around him, the blaring of the fire alarm echoed and his ears rang from the explosion.

Looking around him, Magnus’s heart shattered.

The loft was gone, almost entirely. All around him was black, charred debris and the broken remains of what was once his home. The entire back wall of his and Cat’s apartment was missing, the open skyline of Los Angeles visible.

The carnage around him did very little to distract from the pain in his body. He ached and his arms felt numb. His head throbbed uncontrollably as he rolled onto his stomach, forcing himself onto his knees to survey his surroundings closely.

Ignoring the searing pain in his side and the tell-tale damp all down his torso, Magnus forced himself to stand up.

He stumbled briefly, his legs weak and shaky. It was in that moment that he realised he must have hurt his right foot, potentially even broken his ankle. Biting his lip and forcing down a scream, he stood up and proceeded to stumble in the direction he had last seen Alec.

When the box had exploded, all Magnus had been able to see was Alec’s body as it had been propelled backwards into him, forcing him to follow. Both men had flown across the room and Magnus recalled briefly seeing the windows of his loft shatter as bullets rained down on the apartment, before he had passed out.

Looking around him now, there were no windows left. Whoever had done this had wanted to either set up a scene or really ensure that no one survived, for his windows were now piles of shattered glass littering the floor, bullets and empty shells displaced between them.

After a few moments of collecting his thoughts as he looked around the room, Magnus began to panic. He searched around him frantically but saw nothing. His throat was hoarse as he screamed.

“Alec!” he cried, scrambling to find his boyfriend. “Alec!”

He distantly heard sirens wailing and was aware that help was on the way, but the sinking feeling returned when he looked around him and found that not a single body was visible to him. He couldn’t see anyone.

Magnus let out a bloodcurdling scream as he stood alone in the burnt and blazed remains of his home, his friends missing and his lover nowhere to be found.

 

 

* * *

 

 

_Catarina snorted loudly. “Oh my gosh Katherine! You can’t say stuff like that about a customer”, she chastised under her breath. From the look she received she knew that Katherine found her panic amusing._

_“Yes, I can”, Katherine insisted._

_Cat shook her head, smiling fondly as she stared down at her hands to hide her amusement. She continued to prepare the drink, absentmindedly humming along to a song she had heard on the radio on the way to work._

_Before long, Cat was shuffling to the beat of the song as it played in her head. She giggled slightly, twirling as she deposited the prepared drink in Katherine’s hand._

_Katherine laughed at her as she danced away, heading back to the cash register to take the next order._

_“How can I help you this morning?” Cat greeted warmly, shifting from foot to foot rhythmically._

_“Well first of all, you’re a wonderful dancer my dear”, her customer responded._

_Catarina’s head sprung up like a puppet attached to a string and, with a sharp tug from her puppet master, looked up the newcomer properly. She immediately began to blush._

_The man was incredibly attractive, lean, and tall like a giant. A really hot giant._

_He had long dark hair that grazed his chin, streaks of bright pink laced throughout. His face, tan and smooth, was covered in makeup. Dashed across his cheeks were blush and contour and ringing his eyes was a dark layer of eyeliner. His eyes, slanted with Asian descent, were deep brown and piercing._

_He stood tall, holding himself in a manner that suggested confidence and charm. He was dressed immaculately, draped head to toe in expensive designer brands. His fingers, where they played with a strand of hair, were littered with rings and his nails were black and slightly chipped._

_After a moment, Catarina realised that she was gaping and quickly diverted her attention back to the young man’s eyes. He couldn’t possibly be older than 19, his face young and youthful despite his tired, aged eyes._

_Catarina panicked when she realised he had said something._

_“I’m sorry, what? Wh-what would you like to drink?” she stuttered nervously._

_The man chuckled, leaning forward on his arms to peer over the cash register at her. “I said, I’d love to see you dance some more.” When Catarina didn’t respond, speechless, he took pity on her and smiled kindly. “I’ll take a simple hot coco please, extra chocolate sprinkles. Oh, and a muffin.”_

_Cat blinked and when she felt a kick from her colleague, hurried to add the order to the system. She stumbled slightly, her hands slipping and her face flushed._

_“That’ll be, uh… $5.45 please, sir.”_

_The man grinned ear to ear at her, slipping his wallet from his back pocket and slowly removing the money. “Please, don’t call me ‘sir’. It makes me sound old. Call me Magnus.”_

_Catarina took the money, grateful to have something to distract herself with. “It’s, uh, nice to meet you Magnus.”_

_There was a pregnant pause as she sorted through the register to gather his change._

_“Aren’t you going to tell me_ your _name?”_

_Cat looked up at Magnus and gulped nervously. “Oh, sure”, she said. “It’s Catarina. Well, most people call me Cat but”, she gestured to her nametag. “Either works.”_

_Magnus grinned. “Tell me Catarina, why are you working in a coffee shop with moves like that?”_

_Catarina stared at Magnus in surprise, hesitating to hand him his change in case he took it as his que to leave- she was, to her surprise, rather enjoying his company._

_“It’s kind of impossible to become a renowned dancer in this day and age”, she sighed before relenting and dropping the change into his open palm._

_Magnus gathered the money, shrugging. “Can’t hurt to try, right?”_

_Catarina copied him, shrugging helplessly. “I guess not.”_

_After a moment or two, Magnus’ eyes diverted to Katherine, who handed him his order with a smile. Magnus accepted it gratefully, turning to beam at Catarina._

_“I hope to see you again, Catarina. It was lovely to meet you.”_

_Cat watched her mysterious new friend exit the coffee shop, smile tugging at her lips._

_“What was that?” Katherine asked, laughing._

_Catarina joined her, giggling quietly. “I have no idea, but I like him. He seems fun.”_

_Katherine rolled her eyes, “Don’t go getting a crush on mysterious-coffee-shop-flirt.”_

_“Kat, he has a name”, Catarina laughed, shaking her head in exasperation._

_Katherine shrugged, turning back to the coffee machine to refill it. “Oh well. I like my name better.”_

_Catarina chuckled, turning back to face the approaching customer and greeting him the same as she did everyone else. When he placed his order, exchanging no additional words nor smiles with her, Catarina couldn’t help but miss Magnus already._

 

* * *

 

 

Izzy was startled awake by the resonating clang of metal as debris continued to fall around her. Gasping, she scrambling to free herself from the confines of whatever laid upon her.

She gasped desperately as she wriggled out from under a large slab of plaster, her throat clogged with smoke and ash.

When she looked around her, Izzy let out an uncontrollable wail. Magnus’ loft was a battleground, plaster and brick littering every inch of floor. Where there wasn’t debris there was broken and blasted furniture or shattered glass. Everywhere she turned was black, burnt, charred, and collapsing from the damage.

Isabelle could distantly hear moaning and tried her best to face the sound but found herself unable to place it. All around her, no matter where she looked, she could see nothing but destruction.

There was a quiet but distinct shuffling around her, but regardless of where she looked, she couldn’t see anything.

Thinking back to what had happened, Izzy felt panic overtake her. Whimpering madly, she felt her throat constrict and her eyes water. Izzy whined hoarsely, her vision blurring from what she hoped wasn’t a concussion.

Despite everything in her telling her to move, to get out of there and find her family, Izzy could do nothing but cry. She cried out for her brothers, her girlfriend, her friends. She begged for someone to help her, screaming until her voice was so worn her vocal chords chaffed with every breath.

Izzy’s breath stuttered as she let out another sob. In all of her life, she had never felt as powerless and as hopeless as she did when she looked around at the destruction around her. She knew that logically it was the man after Magnus that had done this, but her heart ached with guilt; was there anything she could have done to have prevented this?

After what felt like hours, Izzy collapsed onto the floor, panting as smoke filled her mouth. Somewhere around her she heard someone call her name but it was all white noise.

Fires raged around her, flickering red hot light across her face as she stared ahead, unseeing.

As the heat mauled at her skin, picking and stabbing at her flesh, Izzy silently cried, surrendering herself to the knowledge that everyone she loved was dead.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

_“I don’t know about this, Clary”, Simon protested uselessly, digging his heels into the ground and pulling at her arm desperately. “This is just going to be really awkward.”_

_Clary turned around to gaze at her best friend and with a sigh she relented and moved away from the door. She gently grasped Simon’s face between her hands, looking him deep in the eye. When she spoke, her voice was firm and steady._

_“Simon Lewis, they are going to love you just as much as I do. You’re one of the kindest, sweetest, funniest people I have ever met and they will without a doubt think the same. Just trust me.”_

_Simon looked between Clary’s intense gaze and the front door that appeared to loom over him. He frowned slightly, until Clary’s fingers pressed against the skin between his furrowed brows and forced him to relax._

_“Seriously, Si. Everything will be fine. I just… I really want you to meet him, okay? He means a lot to me and you do too”, she said passionately._

_Simon sighed deeply, forcing himself to breath evenly. He had to do this. For Clary._

_“Okay”, he said, straightening up and puffing out his chest in faux-confidence. “Let’s do this.”_

_Clary beamed and despite his nerves, it was enough to be the one to ignite such a response in his best friend. Simon grinned back at her, following her lead as she swung open the door and tugged him into the apartment._

_Simon looked around him, overwhelmed by the soft yet commanding tone of the house. It was homey, but not disgustingly so. Clearly owned by very organised individuals who had a great appreciation for the understated, it was clean and crisp in its simplicity. Simon didn’t hesitate to notice that despite this, it was littered with personality; family pictures were placed haphazardly around the walls and random posters and objects hung from nails imbedded in the plaster. Around the hall were various random objects; a pair of boxing gloves, a quiver full of arrows, a pair of dark boots, a small crate of beer and even a pile of cardboard boxes piled high in the corner._

_“They’ve just moved in”, Clary said calmly, tugging him along as though she knew the place like the back of her hand._

_Simon was, quite honestly, confused. “So, whose place is this?”_

_“The brother’s”, Clary answered quickly as they rounded the cornered and entered a busy living room. “And the brother’s best friend’s.”_

_Simon let his eyes span the entirety of the room and its inhabitants._

_Perched on the edge of a short, red couch was a beautiful, pale woman with long cascading hair and pointed features. She was leaning forward in her seat, talking animatedly with an equally attractive man opposite her._

_He was tall, large in a non-intimidating way, and had the same sort of features as his acquaintance. Simon suspected they were even related if their physical similarities and the ease with which they interacted, was anything._

_Beside who he presumed was the girl’s brother was another man. He too was involved in the conversation and was talking as animatedly and comfortably as his companions, however he looked entirely different. He had blonde, shaggy hair that curled around his earlobes and chiselled and square features. Finely shaved facial hair made him look as though he were easily in his mid-twenties, although if his suspicions were correct and this was Clary’s boyfriend then that was not entirely true. The man was attractive, Simon would admit, and he radiated an air of confidence as he spoke._

_Finally, sitting beside the dark-haired woman and observing the conversation with amusement and what seemed like calculated ease was another man, similar in age to the beautiful woman’s brother. He was stunningly good-looking; pale skin, dark eyes, untidy and unruly black hair, and a pair of smouldering lips. He sat straight and tense but his eyes were soft with what was obvious affection despite the persona he attempted to display._

_Simon’s eyes lingered on the last man as Clary called out to her blond boyfriend. When the man raised his eyes to meet their guests, Simon grew panicked and darted his eyes back to Clary._

_“And this is Simon”, she was saying, gesturing to her best friend. “Simon, this is my boyfriend Jace.”_

_Simon observed Jace with interest, outstretching his hand to offer a hand-shake. Jace grinned smugly, accepting the gesture with a grin._

_“Nice to meet you, Simon. This is my brother Alec”, he gestured the dark man behind him, “my sister Izzy”, the woman leaning forward with intrigue, “and Raphael. He’s Alec’s best friend and roommate.”_

_Simon looked over to the good-looking stranger (_ Raphael, _his mind supplied) and smiled sheepishly. Raphael appeared amused by Simon’s nerves, cracking an almost-grin when he blushed and looked away hastily._

_“So, Simon”, the brother – Alec – said as he stood up slowly. “What drink do you fancy?”_

_Simon bit his lip, contemplated. He was aware of all the curious eyes on him and quickly grew embarrassed. His eyes flickered uncontrollably to Raphael and he quickly looked away as his cheeks grew hot._

_“Surprise me.”_

 

* * *

 

 

Much to his surprise, when Jace sprung awake at the sound of screaming, he felt surprisingly calm. All around him was noise – the wailing of smoke alarms, the streaming of water from the few sprinklers that survived, the groaning of metal as it expanded with the heat, the crumbling of rumble under his body. He couldn’t think and because of that, all he felt was numbness.

It was almost refreshing, in the wake of such disaster, that Jace didn’t feel panic.

As he looked around him, wincing in a poor attempt to dispel the hazy fog of smoke that settled around him and made seeing hair, Jace felt a small hint of dread settle in his stomach.

He couldn’t see anyone.

When that dread slowly grew to full-on panic, Jace attempted to leap to his feet. He was stopped before he could even try however, by a gasp as he tried to take a deep breath.

Pain shot across his chest and for the first time, Jace looked down at himself to check for injuries.

The first thing he noticed was a huge slab of what he prayed wasn’t concrete but totally felt like concrete, splayed around half of his chest. It weighed down on him and his ribs ached with the pressure. Gasping, he grappled desperately with the edges of the slab, scrambling to raise it from his chest. His fingers slipped, handling ashy and dampened concrete, but he somehow managed to lift it from his chest.

Jace gasped when the weight was removed, his lungs able to expand properly as he breathed. He was still horrifically aware of the pain in his chest and prayed to whoever was listening that it was just a few broken ribs and not something more.

He blinked rapidly, attempting to focus and remove the haze from his mind. He laid back, staring up at what remained of the ceiling, gasping for air.

After a moment or two, Jace was reminded of what had returned him to consciousness. Screaming.

Startled, Jace pushed himself up onto his elbows, leaning back and moaning loudly at the pain such unpredictable movement caused. He grimaced against the pain, forcing himself to move.

He could vaguely hear the screams of someone, someone alive, but for the life of him couldn’t work out what they were saying. He scrambled to turn onto his side, careful of his ribs. When he finally made it, he pushed himself up on his arms. They shook with the extent the effort it took to move as he pushed himself up into a standing position.

He briefly stumbled, collapsing backwards into a wall he hadn’t even realised was behind him. He pressed himself against it for a moment as he caught his breath, conscious of the screams echoing around him.

Taking a deep breath, Jace’s nose wrinkled in disgust. Despite the poignant smell of smoke and fire, the distinct smell stood out to Jace. He blinked his eyes open, staring down at the small circular holes that dotted the expanse of the wall he was pressed against.

Gaping, Jace stumbled backwards, staring at the bullet holes in horror. Not only had a bomb gone off, but someone had shot at the house?

His fear multiplying, Jace forced himself to ignore the aching of his body and began to scramble his way towards where he believed the screams to be coming from. He could barely walk, his chest flaring up in pain at unexpected moments, and after a particularly painful one he collapsed with a cry of pain.

Leaning back against the wall and breathing deeply, Jace let out a single sob.

He grit his teeth, forcing back his cries. He _had_ to do this. He _had_ to find his family and he _had_ to find them alive. He didn’t have the luxury of crying. There was no time.

After a moment and a silent word of encouragement to himself, he pushed himself up in one fell swoop and continued in the direction of the screaming.

He felt like he had been walking for hours, despite the fact that he had barely moved from his original location. His legs were heavy like lead and his head was foggy. He attempted to ignore his hazy vision and the screaming of his limbs, and fought on until he finally made it to a small pile of rubble in the corner of the room where the hallway began.

Crumpled up like a scrunched ball of paper, curled protectively into a ball and cradling her head, was Clary.

Just from looking at her, Jace could see her entire left side was burned. Her flesh was black and pink, flaking and seared from the heat that still blazed around them. She had her back to him, allowing him the opportunity to catalogue the very obvious injury to the back of her head. Coating her hair and pooling like cool-aid around her, was blood.

Jace gasped, his knees buckling. He crumped beside her, grasping at her clothes and tugging her as best he could.

Clary screamed, her throat cracking and her arms flailing. When she finally spotted Jace, she whimpered pathetically.

“Jace”, she gasped, grasping his face in her hands desperately.

Jace nodded slowly, wincing when the movement made him see spots of black. He looked down at her, gazing over her face, pleased to see very few injuries there.

“Can you stand?”

Clary sniffled, shaking her head. “I don’t know”, she said, her voice wobbly.

“Are you in any pain, besides the burns?”

Clary looked at Jace and for a moment Jace spared a thought for how grateful he was that it was Clary he had found. Not because he didn’t care about anyone else – on the contrary – but because if there was anyone that could keep him sane and composed, it was her. When she needed him, he would be whatever she needed him to be.

Right now, she needed him to be calm. She needed him to help her.

Slowly, Clary shook her head once more. “I-I don’t think so. My head hurts but… my legs feel fine and my right arm feels okay. Maybe a little bruised.”

Jace smiled down at her softly. “Bruised, we can handle.”

Clary nodded in agreement.

“Okay”, Jace sighed, rubbing a hand across his face to regain some composure. “On the count of three, I need you to hook your arm over my shoulder and I’ll lift you up, okay?” He waited for Clary to nod in agreement before he began counting down.

“One, two, three.”

On three, with a resounding grunt, Jace grasped Clary tightly and hauled her to her feet. He gasped, falling forwards into her as the weight of lifting her tore at his chest. Clary immediately got her footing, straightening him up with a gentle hand to his shoulder. “You okay?”

Jace nodded, baring his teeth against the pain. “Yeah”, he sighed deeply. “Let’s keep moving- see if we can find the others.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

_“You know, I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this but your eyes are really distracting”, Alec mused quietly._

_Magnus chuckled, spreading himself out across the bed, fingers curled around the sheets, and facing his boyfriend. “Are they?”_

_“Yeah”, Alec chuckled softly. “They’re almost… gold, sometimes. In the right light. They’re beautiful.”_

_Magnus paused for a moment, and Alec immediately began to panic. He watched Magnus for any signs of offence or distress but simply saw surprise._

_Magnus shuffled towards Alec slightly, humming contently. “Why thank you, Alexander.”_

_Alec grinned widely, welcoming Magnus’ proximity by plastering himself against Magnus’ side. Magnus laughed, pleasantly surprised, and wrapped his arms around Alec when the younger man turned away from him and backed into his arms._

_“You love being the little spoon, huh?”_

_Alec hid his blush in Magnus’ arm. “Shut up”, he said, although it lacked any heat._

_Magnus snorted. He pressed his nose up against Alec’s head and sighed, breathing in the familiar smell that was so inherently_ Alec _._

_“I don’t just love you”, Magnus whispered into Alec’s hair, aware that his boyfriend had frozen in his embrace. “I truly adore you.”_

_Alec chuckled nervously, tightening his grip in Magnus’ arms where they wrapped around his body protectively._

_“I love you more”, Alec said. “Especially after what we just did. I- I didn’t know that it could be like that.”_

_“That’s because you’ve never had sex with me”, Magnus teased lightly._

_Alec was suspiciously quiet for a moment. “I’ve never had sex with anyone, not all the way… and especially not with someone I feel this strongly about.”_

_There was a certain weight to his words that seemed to choke him, for his voice was hoarse as he spoke. Magnus dropped his face into Alec’s neck and kissed the skin affectionately, hoping that by a simple press of the lips, Alexander might understand exactly what he was feeling._

_Alec appeared to understand for he sighed, pressing himself back into Magnus. “I love you more, Mags.”_

_“Go to sleep, sayang”, Magnus encouraged when he felt Alec yawn._

_Alec giggled sweetly as he settled against Magnus more comfortably. “Orgasms make me sleepy, it would seem.”_

_After a few moments, Magnus allowed his eyes to flutter closed, soothed by the rhythmic breathing of the man in his arms. Alec’s content little hums permeated the silence but only made Magnus grin into Alec’s dark hair._

_“Magnus?” Alec’s sleepy, groggy voice asked, breaking the silence that had settled around them._

_Magnus grinned at him; he sounded so droopy and almost as though he were half-asleep, which he probably was. “Yes, love?”_

_“What does ‘sayang’ mean?”_

_Magnus paused. He attempted to think back into the conversation, unaware he had ever even said it. “It- it’s my native tongue. Well, my mother’s I suppose.”_

_“What…. does it mean, Mags?”_

_“It means ‘dear’”, Magnus said softly, pecking Alec’s head. “My mother used to call me that, I didn’t even notice that I’d said it.”_

_“You don’t have to call me that if you don’t want to”, Alec protested uselessly, fatigue removing any real energy._

_Magnus thought for a moment before he allowed himself to relax. He shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I want to.”_

_There was a quiet hum of amusement from Alec before his breathing finally deepened and his body became lax with sleep. Magnus took a deep breath, and closed his eyes with a pleasant smile._

 

 

* * *

Jace stumbled over a large stone block. Staring down at it, he tried his best to recognise it and pinpoint where it came from but found his muddled mind impossible of placing it. The large stone looked out of place, surrounded by ash.

Shaking his head, Jace tightened his grip on Clary as they hobbled across the room.

“Considering how small it fills when we’re all cramped in here, how does this place feel so big now?” Clary wondered quietly.

Jace didn’t respond although he silent agreed; now that the entire structure of the loft was tarnished and all that remained were piles of rubble, Magnus’ home felt much bigger. It felt like a mine field; like any moment they might stumble across danger as they made their way across a seemingly endless terrain.

Since finding Clary, Jace had been adamant to get her out of the building or at least the apartment, but Clary had refused. _‘If we’re alive then someone else has to be! We have to get to them!’_

Jace was really starting to doubt that they would, when they finally heard shouting.

“Alec!”

Jace’s head shot up, searching the room in urgency, desperate to find his brother. He quickly let go of Clary, who grabbed the wall in support as Jace began to fumble his way across the loft in the direction of the voice.

After what felt like forever but what was really only a few excruciating steps, Jace spotted Magnus. He was kneeling in rubble and debris, running his hands through his hair and pulling at the strands as he called out for his lover.

Jace paled when he saw the state Magnus was in, and prayed his brother wasn’t in any worse a state. “Magnus!”

Magnus quickly turned to follow the noise and when he met Jace’s eye he sobbed pitifully. “Oh my God! You’re okay!”

Jace finally reached him and fell to his knees by the Asian’s side, grappling at the man’s shirt as he pulled him into a hug. They had never hugged before, never even really said all that much to each other, but the relief that flooded them at the knowledge that at least someone else was okay was overwhelming.

Jace squeezed him tightly before moving away, looking around them as frantically as before. “Where’s my brother?”

Magnus looked torn apart at the reminder, shrugging weakly. “I can’t see him. I couldn’t see anyone. I-I don’t know who survi- he was right there, he was so close to the box, he was in front of me and I felt him hit me but then I couldn’t see him and then I must have passed out because I woke up alone and he’s nowhere and-”

“-Magnus”, Jace interrupted softly, grabbing Magnus’ face between his hands. “We’ll find him, we’ll find everyone. But you’ve got to get up. Come on.”

After a few moments of struggling and manoeuvring, Jace was able to get Magnus to stand. Once he was on his feet, Magnus straightened up as much as possible before taking a deep breath to compose himself.

“Have you found anyone?”

“Clary”, Jace said, indicating behind him where Clary was slouched against a wall.

“Thank God”, Magnus said, sending her a smile although it failed to reach his eyes. Jace couldn’t blame him, all things considered.

There was a moment of silence as both men before Magnus seemed to remember something.

“Oh my God, Raphael! Have-have you seen Raphael? Or Cat? Or Ragnor? Oh God, what about Sheldon and Isabelle?”

Jace grabbed his arm firmly, squeezing to draw his attention. “I told you, I’ve only found Clary. But we’ll find the others. You go towards the balcony, me and Clary will head towards the door, okay?”

“Okay”, Magnus relented, “But be careful; we don’t know if those shooters are still around here somewhere. We weren’t out for long or the cops would be here, so maybe they’re still in the area so just… lay low.”

Jace nodded his agreement before wishing Magnus a silent good luck, and turning to go and re-join Clary. When he reached her, he scooped up her arm and looped it around his neck. “C’mon Fray, let’s go find my sister and your idiot best friend.”

 

* * *

 

 

_“My dear little cabbage, will you relax!”_

_Ragnor rolled his eyes. “When will you learn to drop that ridiculous nickname you seem to adamant to use! It’s, quite frankly, the worst one you’ve ever come up with- and you used to call that young Italian woman your ‘fluffy little cupcake’.”_

_The noise he made was one of disgust as he shuddered exaggeratedly and looked over at Magnus, expecting some form of response._

_Magnus rolled his eyes as he collapsed on the soft green couch in Ragnor’s living room. “When you learn to stop getting so triggered by it, then I’ll stop. Also, I called her ‘fluffy little buttercup’, not cupcake”, he joked, winking at his friend._

_“You’re insufferable”, Ragnor sighed. “Sometimes I really do wonder why I ever followed you to New York.”_

_“You can’t live without me”, Magnus explained, as though the answer were obvious. “Not even London gives you the same homey feeling as New York.”_

_“Actually, since I was raised in London, it has significantly more ‘homey’ charm than this rat infested city does, thank you very much.”_

_“You’re welcome”, Magnus responded flippantly, pleased when Ragnor groaned in response. “Oh, cabbage, do stop complaining.”_

_Ragnor snorted, lifting his glass to tap a sip. He hummed in pleasant surprise. “Just because you’re still a child, doesn’t mean everyone else is. I’m hardly complaining.”_

_“You’re always complaining”, Magnus insisted. “Even Cat agrees with me.”_

_“Yes, well. Dearest Cat isn’t here at the moment, so her opinion is invalid”, Ragnor dismissed._

_Magnus raised his glass in surrender. “Touché my good friend. But you still love me, whether you’ll admit it or not.”_

_“I wouldn’t dream of following anyone to New York if I didn’t, Magnus” Ragnor said after a moment of hesitation. He rolled his eyes affectionately when Magnus cheered in response, obviously pleased at receiving such a rare display of open affection._

 

 

* * *

 

 

There were many moments in Raphael’s life that he would gladly forget.

When he was only 5, still so young and vulnerable, and his mother had decided that her son was now her own personal dart board to throw jabs and cruel words at for her amusement. She had, soon after he turned 5 ½, begun to use him as her own sick form of entertainment. What started as simple slaps and backhanded comments soon became punches, kicks and of course burns; after all, what else were you supposed to use to put out a cigarette if not your child’s thighs.

Equally, although painful for all the wrong reasons, arriving in care had been just as horrifying. Looking around him and in the moments feeling nothing but isolation and a shattering sort of loneliness, Raphael had hidden within himself. For months he lived in a state of constant fear as he attempted to navigate a care home without having to interact with anyone.

Until Magnus had transferred homes and joined there’s, no one had ever made Raphael interact with them. But Magnus had made it his mission to draw words from his young companion, whether it be by talking _to_ him or simply _at_ him.

After that, there were the months after he and Magnus had gone their separate ways. At first it had been tough to be without someone he had thought of as his other half for so many years, and attempting to navigate the real world – as opposed to a care home – was brutal with no one by your side. Especially in a city like New York.

Similarly, that time in his life had ended shortly due to the arrival of another person in his life; Alec. Alec had made Raphael more comfortable and happy than he could remember being in a long time, drawing out of him the same person that Magnus had somehow managed to discover all of the defensive mechanisms and anti-social behaviour.

And with Alec, came Simon.

It was shortly after he and Alec had moved in together that Alec’s younger brother had come home raving about how the girl he had recently started dating, wanted him to meet her family. Raphael vividly remembered the day, because he and Alec had snorted and laughed at the younger Lightwood’s panic all evening as he ranted and raved to them about how he ‘didn’t meet parents’.

When Jace had invited said girlfriend and her best friend over to Raphael and Alec’s fairly new apartment, Raphael’s entire life had changed.

Meeting Simon was like meeting Magnus or Alec; it had reshaped and remoulded his life in the first few moments and an immediate sense of belonging followed shortly after. The pull that Simon had had lured him in and caught him in the fishing net in moments and ever since, Raphael was proud to say he had been unable to escape.

He’d never wanted to.

He’d never wanted to _not_ love Simon, because who would ever want something like that?!

He’d never regretted letting himself fall so deeply for that one dorky, socially-awkward man.

Until he woke up, surrounded by smoke and stone, with Simon’s twisted and mangled body draped across him like a blanket.

In that moment, Raphael wished he had never even met the man.

Because after screaming and forcing himself out from under the man to check his pulse, Raphael had wanted nothing more than to feel _absolutely nothing_ for that dork from Brooklyn.

Looking down at him, his fingers scrambling desperately across tarnished skin, Raphael felt everything crumble around him.

It didn’t matter than he could faintly hear screaming, it didn’t matter than in the distance he heard sirens, it didn’t matter that pain consumed him and burned away at him like fire. All that mattered, was that Simon didn’t have a pulse.

As so, in all the moments in Raphael’s life that he wished he could forget, this was the worst. He held his boyfriend as he screamed – wailed, really, - and begged for him to just wake up, just open his eyes.

For every moment that Raphael screamed, Simon Lewis remained motionless and pale in his arms, crumpled up like a discarded sheet of paper. Like a _wasted_ sheet of paper.

Raphael wasn’t even sure if he stopped screaming, or his throat just couldn’t take it anymore and gave out of him but after what felt like decades, all he could hear was silence. Sitting in the middle of a battleground with his boyfriend dead in his arms, Raphael heard silence.

It echoed in his ears and made his head hurt, just how deadly silent Simon remained. For all his shaking and begging, Simon didn’t move a muscle.

“Si… babe”, Raphael gasped, his vision blurring and his voice hoarse from screaming. “C’mon, babe. Come on. Jus- just open your eyes and say something s-stupid. Just say anything- just anything. Come on, please. I’ll- I’d listen to you ramble all day about how the original Star Wars films are underrated if that’s what it takes to just- just talk!”

Raphael was vaguely aware that his voice was rising in volume and he was growing uncontrollably angry. Despite the aching in his chest, Raphael found himself shaking Simon roughly, screaming at him.

“Wake the fuck up, Si! This isn’t funny! Come on!”

When Simon didn’t respond, Raphael began to shake with anger. “Simon! Stop being a dick, you asshole. Wake up! Please, wake up. Don’t- don’t you dare leave me like this, you selfish- you selfish bastard. Don’t do this, please! Wh- what- why did you have to make me fall in love with you, you selfish- Please don’t do this, please Si. Please.”

Simon’s head lolled slightly to the side, and for the first time since waking up Raphael spotted it.

Tears curled around Simon’s cheeks, staining the pale skin and leaving behind their mark; Simon had been crying. But he hadn’t been crying when the bomb-

Simon had woken up. He’d woken up and he’d cried. And then he’d died. And- and Raphael had stayed unconscious the whole time.

He- he hadn’t been there.

Raphael felt his stomach turn and he immediately threw Simon off of him, scrambling away from the body, choking. “Oh- oh my God”, he gasped dramatically, fighting desperately to gain his breath as he stared at his boyfriend.

Simon was dead, he’d died alone and afraid and in pain.

Raphael hadn’t been there.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Izzy had never felt relief quite like she did the moment she woke up, and after potentially hours of pushing, managed to lift up the slab of concrete on top of her and roll away. After taking the customary 5 or so minutes to scream in agony at the searing pain in her chest and stomach, she had forced herself to her feet.

Almost immediately she had stumbled upon her older brother. He was wrapped around what remained of Magnus’ favourite armchair, his body having obviously collided with it after the explosion.

Izzy spared a though to later thank Magnus for owning such a hideous yet surprisingly comfortable chair, for it might have just saved her big brother’s life.

He was still worse for wear; his face was torn and bruised and she suspected from the way he was laying that at least a few of his ribs had broken from the impact. The chair might have been soft, but the force of that explosion had still been enough. Buried in his side was a small – yet not small enough – piece of metal that Isabelle assumed came from the bomb itself.

 _That would explain the splash when I sat beside him,_ Izzy realised in disgust, glancing down at the pool of blood around her.

She made a quick job tearing the bottom of her shirt, hissing slightly when the jolt of the fabric disconnecting from the shirt made her jump. She clutched her side with a moan of pain, gritting her teeth in an attempt to stop herself from calling out.

She spared a moment to look around her, desperate to find someone who could help. She appeared to be surrounded by kitchen appliances and destroyed furniture, herself and Alec obviously having been thrown in the direction of the kitchen.

Thinking back to the blast, Izzy grew confused. If the explosion had come for the box Catarina was opening then there was no way that Alec could have ended up over where she was, plastered under a slab of _whatever-the-hell-that-was_ , not far from the kitchen. He must have been sent flying towards the other side of the room, closer to the bedrooms than to the kitchen.

How he had ended up there, Isabelle had no idea. She wouldn’t have put it past him to crawl and fight his way over if he had spotted her, passing out before reaching her in his exhaustion, although she doubted he would do such a thing if it meant leaving Magnus behind.

She startled when she noticed that she had frozen in thought and hastily wrapped the strip of fabric as tightly around her brother’s side as she could. She groaned in frustration when it did little to help, the size of the fabric strip simply not long enough to wrap around Alec’s torso and be tied tightly.

Instead, Izzy quickly pulled her brother into her arms and pressed down on the wound. She winced slightly when his lax weight pressed against her chest and the pain flared up, but not for a moment did she stop pressing, desperate to stop the flow of blood from her brother’s side.

“Alec, Izzy! Thank God.”

Izzy looked up quickly, and breathed out a sigh of relief when she spotted Magnus.

He was a mess, with cuts and bruises littering him like tattoos, stark and noticeable on his tan skin. He was clearly injured but that didn’t prevent him to running – although it was more like falling – in her direction and collapsing on the floor beside her.

Gasping, he ran his hands delicately over Alec’s body. They paused when hovering over Izzy’s hands on his side and for the first time he seemed to catalogue the blood around them and how it oozed between Izzy’s fingers.

“What-what happened?”

“I think it’s a bit of shrapnel from the bomb”, Izzy said. She noticed for the first time how sore her throat was, as her words came out more as breathless whispers.

Magnus didn’t appear to care, for he didn’t hesitate to press his hands against her, helping her press down against the wound.

“I couldn’t find him”, he explained. “He- I thought he was over near me but I couldn’t find him.”

“He was near me”, Izzy said softly, her eyes flickering between Magnus’s panic and her brother’s prone body. “I- I think maybe he came to help me but passed out?”

It was phrased as more of a question, as though implying Alec had left Magnus to help his sister was something she needed his permission to say.

Magnus shrugged. “I wouldn’t put it past him. I couldn’t see him, and to be fair I ended up a little way away from where I vividly remember hitting the wall so I don’t think he saw me. May-maybe he just spotted his little sister in the crowd.”

Izzy nodded, looking down at her big brother with nothing other than adoration. “What do we do, Magnus?”

Magnus sighed, his shoulders slouching slightly as he pressed down a little harder. Izzy winced, but didn’t say anything, pushing down just as hard. The flow of blood between their fingers finally began to lessen until it appeared that no more was able to escape.

“I don’t know”, Magnus sighed, staring down at Alec with the most heartbroken eyes she had ever seen. “We have to find the others and get everyone out of here. Jace- Jace and Clary are okay, I saw them.”

Izzy felt a wave of guilt when she realised that not once, in all of her panic with her brother, had she remembered Clary. She gasped, feeling a weight she didn’t even know she had on her shoulders, lessen.

“Thank the Angel.”

Magnus nodded, raising a hand to brush it through Alec’s hair affectionately. Izzy felt the desire to warn him not to lessen the pressure they were applying to the wound, but couldn’t bring herself to deny him the simple touch. No blood seemed to escape Alec’s side either, so she supposed that there was no real harm in letting Magnus delicately brush her brother’s face.

“Have you found the others yet; Raphael, Simon, Catarina, Ragnor…?”

Magnus frowned, shaking his head. “No. Jace and Clary are looking now and hopefully they’ll all be fine. For now, Isabelle, we need to get your brother out of here.”

Izzy met Magnus’ eye, feeling a surge of determination at the look she saw there.

“We will get them back for this”, she vowed, as though promising Magnus personally.

Magnus nodded. “I know, we will. I know.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damnn...... I dont even know what to say. I mean.... Raphael man... I didn't want to but... it was either Simon or him and I just.... I can't kill my baby Raphael. That being said, killing Simon was such a tough decision and honestly I'm still not sure I dont hate myself for making it but... ahhhhh! Too late now!
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you thought down below or leave your kudos. Please dont hate me too much for this.... I love Saphael and Simon and honestly I'm probably more upset than you are right now. But before you get your hopes up just yet.... its not over and there's even more loss next week. 
> 
> Have a wonderful day everyone!  
> Tumblr: justmagnusbane


	12. Flee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the attack proves difficult for everyone. Who will survive and who will lose themselves, no one knows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay guys but I've been super busy looking at unis the last 3 weekends (because I left it super late) so my time to write has been cut significantly shorter than usual but I now have 2 weeks off of school so I'm planning on uploading twice a week for the next two weeks to make up for the delay so... sorry! <3
> 
>  
> 
> WARNINGS: mentions of child abuse, violence, blood/gore
> 
> Enjoy <3

 

_There was a distinct smell in the air, similar to that of a barbeque, but Simon forced himself to ignore it._

_He wasn’t exactly the most coordinated of human beings, and as such, he had had his fair share of accidents. He vividly remembered falling down Clary’s stairs when he was younger, fracturing his arm. That hurt, like a bitch._

_Similarly, after breaking his wrist just a few years ago in a game of paintball gone wrong, Simon was somewhat familiar with excruciating pain._

_However, the difference was that those incidents were isolated; only one part of him had been broken._

_Now, it felt like everything was._

_And_ God _, if fracturing his arm had hurt, then this was torture._

_He was distantly aware of the fact that he was draped over Raphael’s body, the soft yet firm chest he had grown to adore over the years barely stuttering up and down in raged breaths. He ignored it, or rather was forced to, by the way his body felt._

_He felt, quite frankly, like a toy someone had stepped on. Almost like how he imaged his Xbox remote had felt after he threw it at the wall that one time._

_Simon took as deep a breath he could without his chest hurting, and looked down at himself as best as possible._

_He’d seen ‘The Walking Dead’ and even watched ‘Hannibal’ and very much enjoyed them. As such, he was hardly unfamiliar with gore. But seeing your own body scrunched up and folded at angles it most definitely shouldn’t be, was still absolutely terrifying._

_Simon gasped, immediately looking away. He felt bile rise in his throat but forced it down, more out of concern for how Raphael would react to being thrown up on._

_Raphael._

_Simon panted as he forced himself up on his right elbow, the only part of his body that felt even remotely intact. He hissed slightly when a shard of glass dug into his arm but realised that in the grand scheme of things, that was the last of his worries right now._

_Raphael almost looked peaceful. Were it not for the dust and rubble over his face, he might look as though he were sleeping. Raphael always looked stunning when he slept._

_Simon watched his boyfriend for a moment and let out a sigh of relief when his mouth opened and he let out a pained gasp. Simon smiled through the tears he hadn’t even felt himself cry._

_After a moment when he was sure Raphael wasn’t waking up, Simon looked back down at his body. Ignoring its distorted shape, he focused on his thigh._

_Protruding from his upper thigh was a large shard of glass that looked deadly, but oddly beautiful as it reflected the light that swayed hazardously above them. Simon spared an amused thought for how the ceiling light had fared much better than him._

_When it dawned on him what was happening, he let out a surprisingly content sigh of surrender. He closed his eyes slowly, praying that if he accepted his fate openly, he might be granted some freedom from the pain that rocketed up his body._

_He wasn’t._

_Grimacing slightly, Simon turned back to his boyfriend and finally let himself cry. He let himself collapse against Raphael’s chest with raged and heavy breaths. He brought his shaky hand up to Raphael’s face and rested his hand against the brunet’s neck._

_Letting his head rest against the firm body, Simon listened to the reassuringly thundering beat of Raphael’s heart under his ear._

_Simon prayed that Raphael knew that inside his chest, coexisted both his own heart… and Simon’s._

_Simon let out a chuckle. “That was cheesy”, he teased himself breathlessly. For the first time, Simon noticed just how short of breath he was._

_“Why couldn’t I die in a heroic way?” He asked the ceiling, mockingly. “If you’re going to kill me at least make it worthwhile. I’m talking a Boromir style redemption death.”_

_He laughed at himself uncontrollably, his voice watery with his tears. After what felt like a decade, Simon finally noticed that his laughter had morphed into sobs. He pressed his face firmly into Raphael’s chest as he took deep breaths to calm himself._

_Simon inhaled deeply, ignoring the stench of death and dirt around him in favour of relishing in Raphael’s distinct mix of body spray and spices. He found himself smiling, the pain disappearing for just a moment._

_When Simon noticed the sound of alarms, screaming and the LA streets faded from his conscious, he knew what was happening. He forced himself to remain calm._

_“It’s gonna be okay”, he promised himself._

_Simon wasn’t a faithless man. He firmly believed that there was something out there for him after he left this world, but the fear of leaving Raphael behind made him shake in desperation._

_“Please, don’t. He asked the ceiling, although his vision was speckled and he wasn’t sure anymore if what he was looking at really was the remains of Magnus’ apartment. “I don’t want to leave him. Heaven can wait”, he pleaded uselessly._

_His vision slowly began to darker, his peripheral fading. He moaned quietly, clutching Raphael as tightly as he could. “I love you”, he mumbled quietly with what little energy he had._

_In a pointless effort to defy his fate, Simon closed his eyes tightly; he refused to watch his vision fade, knowing what it meant. He forced himself to listen closely to Raphael’s heart and breathing, aware that the moment he lost that, he was gone._

_Simon felt remarkably sleepy. He could kid himself and say it was because he was at peace in Raphael’s arms, but really, he knew it was the last of his body giving up._

_He felt like he was floating, almost as though he was dreaming that he was falling. His stomach turned slightly when realised that the moment he let himself fall asleep, he wouldn’t be waking up._

_His mouth felt dry, and his ears began to ring slightly. Before he knew it, Simon couldn’t feel anything. It was truly like he was sleeping, unaware of all of his surrounding but the soothing and peaceful pattering of his boyfriend’s heart._

_He sent a silent prayer to whatever deity there may or may not be, that Raphael would survive this._

* * *

 

 

“I’m so sorry, Magnus.”

Magnus was unhearing. He stared down at the Alec’s body in his arms, feeling weak. “N-no. He- He can’t-”

Jace watched him, his own eyes welling with tears. “There’s no pulse, buddy. I’m really sorry.”

Magnus vision blurred as tears gathered at the bottom of his sight, and his body felt suddenly very tired. He swayed slightly, but tightened his grip on Alec’s prone and limp form to steady himself. He grit his teeth, moaning loudly in despair.

His breathing was heavy, his eyes narrowed angrily as he glared ahead of him. He felt like his chest had had a hole punched in it.

“Did- what did you do with him?”

Jace looked across at Clary and Izzy, where they were clutching each other tightly. Izzy stared at Magnus, her eyes wide and brimming with tears as she watched her friend force himself not the cry.

Clary met Jace’s eye and smiled softly, but it was weak and didn't reach her eyes. She nodded slowly.

Jace turned back to Magnus and sighed, rubbing a hand down his face in exhaustion. “He-he’s underneath a ton of rubble, I couldn’t-”

Before Jace could finish, he was forced backwards as his arms were filled with his brother’s limp body.

Magnus didn’t even look at him from where he stood, staring ahead in determination. Jace clutched his brother as close as he could, watching warily as Magnus turned in the direction the body was.

“Take Alec, go find somewhere safe and out of sight. We can’t have the police find us, we have to do this ourselves- God knows what sort of power those guys have. Just- Just get him somewhere safe, and keep pressure on the wound, okay?”

Jace opened his mouth to interrupt, but was stopped by Isabelle, who plastered herself to his side to press against Alec’s wound. She looked at him pointedly, encouraging to do as he was told.

Jace finally nodded, and with a moan of pain, forced himself to stumble from the loft with his brother in his arms.

Magnus stood alone, watching them exit from the corner of his eye. He looked around at the devastation behind him and, with a deep breath, stepped forward.

 

 

 

* * *

 

“Oh, God. I have no idea what I’m doing”, Clary cried, rushing around frantically. Izzy reached out with her free hand to squeeze her girlfriend’s arm.

“Calm down, babe, and be careful- you’re injured.”

“Not like Alec is”, Clary shouted, waving her arms despite the pain that pulling at her burnt skin caused. “What… what do we do?”

Jace closed his eyes, swaying with exhaustion. Izzy immediately noticed and jumped forward, replacing Jace’s hands with her own on Alec’s body.

“Jace, take Clary and go find some supplies. I don’t care what you have to do, find _something_.”

Jace startled slightly. He stared wide-eyed at his dying brother but nodded quickly. He didn’t speak as he forced himself to his feet and limped his way from the building with Clary in tow.

They exited onto the street, their ears ringing with the blaring of sirens. Without a moment’s thought, Jace pushed Clary aside and ducked away from the sidewalk. He dragged Clary into a side alley with him, plastering himself to the side of the wall of a building and looked around the corner at the stream of ambulances, fire engines and police cars that were flooding the area.

“Dammit”, he groaned. “We’re gonna need to sneak past them.”

Clary leant around him and gaped at the emergency services that had gathered at the bottom of the street, around the building that used to be Magnus and Cat’s flat. The entire side wall was missing of the 3rd floor and plumes of smoke danced around the air, darkening the sky.

“How?”

Jace shrugged. “I have no idea. May-maybe… do you have your phone?”

Clary gasped, slapping her hand against her thigh where her phone was. She struggled for a moment before forcing it from her pocket. The screen was shattered, crystals of glass clinging to its frame. She shook her head at Jace, remorseful.

Jace growled, thumping his head back against the concrete wall. After a moment, he opened his eyes and glared down at his hands, knuckles torn and skin freckled with cuts. “Fuck this”, he hissed, pushing himself away from the wall, expecting Clary to follow without question.

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Oh, cabbage”, Magnus sighed as he crouched down beside his fallen friend. Brushing hair from his face, Magnus ducked his head as a tear fell. “Dammit.”

Ragnor laid, curled up rather peacefully- all things considered. He was curled in a foetal position, hugging his knees. He had one arm up and across his face protectively.

The rubble and broken rock around him, as well as the gaping hole in the ceiling above him, made it clear to Magnus how his friend had gone.

Magnus winced against the pain in his chest. “I’m going to miss you, cabbage”, he sighed, running his fingers over Ragnor’s dusty and ashy face. “I didn’t even get a proper hug.”

He brushed his fingers through Ragnor’s hair, wary of the groaning of the structure around him. He sighed, standing quickly and dusting off his hands against his legs. He looked down at his friend, and began to tirelessly tear the rock and slabs of concrete from his body. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Izzy stared down at her big brother’s pale face, her eyes wet. He was still unconscious and all of the colour was fading from his cheeks- no doubt from the blood loss.

Izzy looked down at her hands where they pressed against Alec’s torso, blood oozing between the gaps between her fingers despite her efforts. She screamed in frustration as she watched her big brother shake, his body seizing up.

She ignored the curling of his body, forcing her hands not to move as Alec thrashed around on the table. It was in that moment that Isabelle lost it, sobbing uncontrollably as she watched her brother throw his body around and having no idea how to help him.

After what was surely centuries, Alec settled and his body became lax. For a moment Izzy panicked but after checking his pulse and ensuring he was still alive, she allowed herself to rest her head on his shoulder with a sigh.

She’d never been this physically and emotionally exhausted in all of her life.

“What happened?”

Izzy’s head shot up, expecting to see Clary and Jace in the doorway.

Instead she saw Maia, leaning against Catarina’s side, clearly lethargic. Izzy’s heart swelled with relief at seeing yet more people she loved alive and well- now they only had to wait for Raphael and Simon. She closed her eyes for a moment, praying that Ragnor was the only one they had lost.

Looking back at the pair in the doorway of the abandoned warehouse Jace had found across the street from Magnus’ apartment block, Izzy immediately began to take note of their injuries. Maia was definitely worse for wear, her limp indicating a painful leg injury and her bloody head immediately alerting Izzy to the possibility she may have a concussion.

Catarina wasn’t much better although she was clearly able to hold herself and Maia up. She had scatterings of cuts and slashes across her body, one particularly mean looking slice down her right arm. She was panting, her throat hoarse and croaky.

It was Cat that had spoken, stepping toward Alec in panic.

Izzy sat up slightly, not forgetting to press down against Alec’s wound. “He’s-”, she paused, unsure what to say. She couldn’t lie to her friend. Sighing, she shook her head. “He’s in a bad way.”

Catarina nodded, clearly panicked, and quickly maneuvered Maia onto the floor. Maia groaned, but leant backwards against the wall. When she settled, she growled. “Fuck whoever did this. I mean, seriously. I’m gonna kill him.”

“Could be a her”, Izzy added quietly.

Catarina finally joined her, crouching down beside the youngest Lightwood and looking down at Alec with poorly concealed fear. “Could be a woman”, she agreed, not looking away from her friend.

Izzy sighed, flexing her shoulders slightly. “Only Alec heard their voice, so when he wakes up, he can tell us.”

Catarina noticed that Izzy used the word ‘when’, clearly adamant that she wouldn’t be losing her brother today.

“Do we have any equipment? A first aid kit? Anything?”

Izzy turned to Catarina and shook her head solemnly. “Jace and Clary left to find something but with the cops out there, they might have trouble finding anything.”

Catarina took a deep breath. “Okay”, she said calmly, clearly attempting to settle herself.

Izzy watched in confusion as Catarina stood up and proceeded to raise her arms, pulling her shirt up with her and whipping it off. Izzy’s eyes darted across to Maia, who watched the scene with confusion and interest.

Catarina ignored their gazes and came towards Alec. She took the edge of her shirt in between her teeth before pulling at the fabric as hard as she could, tearing a clean strip.

“Lift him”, she instructed, indicating to Izzy.

Izzy didn’t hesitate despite her confusion, lifting her brother slightly for Catarina to loop the fabric around his body. She quickly tied it off just below the wound, careful not to touch the shrapnel inside Alec’s side.

When she was done she pulled away and stood beside Alec’s head. She quickly tilted his head back, pressing on his chin to open his mouth and peering down his throat. She quickly felt around his collar, frowning slightly.

“How long has his breathing been this shallow?”

Izzy’s eyebrows furrowed. “I- I didn’t…”

“-It’s okay”, Catarina interrupted.

She moved down to Alec’s side, feeling around his chest carefully. After a moment, she pressed her head against his collarbone and stared down, watching his chest rise and fall. She swore, quickly moving to tilt his head back and blow air into his mouth, careful to pinch his nose in the process.

She could distantly hear Izzy gasp, clearly panicked, but ignored her. “It’s punctured a lung… his left lung has collapsed”, she said.

Izzy’s eyes widened. “Wh- what do we do?”

Catarina stood, running her bloody hand through her head, completely ignorant of how blood smeared across her forehead. She sighed deeply. “I- I don’t know… I mean-”, she paused, looking between them.

“Anyone have a pen?”

Izzy and Maia stared at her in confusion, completely baffled by the spontaneous question. Izzy quickly shook her head negatively.

Maia frowned, sitting up slightly to feel around her pockets. She froze suddenly, staring up at Catarina with wide eyes. “No fucking way.”

“What?” Izzy demanded, desperately confused.

“I actually have a pen. Holy shit”, Maia gasped, pulling the small object from her pocket. “And a used tissue if anyone needs it”, she said off-handedly.

Catarina let out a laugh, shooting forward to snatch the pen from Maia’s grasp.

“I never come prepared”, Maia whooped cheerfully. “I’m in shock.”

Catarina smirked slightly at the girl’s antics, before moving towards Alec as she unscrewed the pen.

She pointedly ignored Izzy’s glare as she pulled apart the pen, sliding the small white tube from the ink cartridge. She spared Izzy a glance, who narrowed her eyes.

“Tell me what you’re doing. H-how do you know what you’re doing is right?”

Catarina looked back down at the tube in her hand. “I don’t”, she relented. “My mother was a nurse, so I’m going off of what little she rambled to me in her excitement when she came home from shifts. I remember she came home one day and explained that someone came in with a collapsed lung and they put a tube in between the ribs to drain the fluid but… I don’t- I don’t exactly know this in detail. I’m just – going off of instinct here. And, being honest, I think I saw this on TV one time.”

Izzy laughed breathlessly, fear lacing her words as she spoke. “Please be careful.”

“I’ll try”, Catarina said quickly. She stared down at the pen pieces with a grimace. “Okay, I’m about to do something and you- you’ll need to hold him down and keep him steady. Think you can do that?”

 Izzy looked distraught, but she nodded hastily. There was a sound that indicated shuffling, before Maia was at Izzy’s side, pressing against Alec.

She smiled warmly at the others. “Do what you need to do, Cat.”

Catarina smiled at her softly, before lifting her hand with the pen tip in it and pressing it against Alec’s side. She felt around briefly, making sure to place it between ribs, but – knowing nothing else – simply decided in the end that this would have to do.

She had a few experimental swings, checking each time that she hit the right area. She knew the moment Izzy figured out what she was going to do, for the brunette gasped.

Cat took a deep breath, forcing her hand steady. She had to do this. She had to save Alec. Not just for Magnus and Isabelle, but for herself. She wouldn’t let her friend die on her.

She counted down in her head and when she hit 1 she threw her arm out before swinging it towards Alec’s side and stabbing in between his ribs with the pen tip.

There was a gruesome thud as her hand collided with Alec’s side. She gasped. “That was way harder to force in than I thought it would be”, she said breathlessly.

Aware that the ink would do him no good, Catarina quickly removed the tip and pushed her little finger into the tiny piercing that had been made. She felt her stomach drop and resisted the urge to gag as she forced her finger inside slightly. When the hole was just slightly larger, she tore her hand aware and picked up the white inner tube.

Without hesitation, she forced the plastic into Alec’s skin, wincing when it grew hard to force it through. She could hear Isabelle’s crying and Maia’s heavy breathing, and Alec’s shuffling from where he moved on the floor. She tuned them out, forcing the plastic as far as she could, until she felt it pierce his lung.

There was a quiet _whoosh_ of air from the tube in his side, and Alec’s chest immediately began to rise fully. Izzy gasped in relief, and Catarina sighed.

She settled back slightly, watching as bloody liquid oozed from the plastic. Despite her discomfort, she sat there watching as Alec’s chest rose and fell at a somewhat steady rate.

“Jesus Christ, Cat”, Maia said, dumbfounded.

Catarina laughed as she fell to her arms on the floor, dropping her head to the concrete with a sigh. “Thank God that worked because if I had just killed him I’m pretty sure Magnus would have my head.”

Immediately, alarm bells went off in Cat’s head and she sat back up. She stared at Izzy in fear. “Magnus! Was he okay? Have you seen him?”

Izzy’s smile dropped and her eyes became sad. She looked down at her brother sadly, and it made Cat’s stomach turn. “Oh God.”

Izzy looked at her quickly, and hastily interrupted her panicking. “No- no, it’s- Magnus is okay.”

Catarina froze. “Thank God”, she gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “Then why did you look like that? And, where is he?”

It was clear from Izzy’s face that her previous expression was not about Magnus and immediately Catarina knew what had happened. She furrowed her brows, feeling her eyes water uncontrollably.

“No… no”, she whispered, pushing herself away from Alec. “No”, she said more firmly, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry Cat”, Izzy sighed, leaning forward.

Catarina moved away before Izzy could touch her and, held back by the fact she was pressing down on her brother’s wound, Izzy had to sit back and watch Catarina flee the warehouse.

Maia looked between the doorway and Isabelle before sending her an apologetic look and leaping to her feet to follow closely behind Cat.

 

 

 

* * *

 

When Jace and Clary finally returned, after bordering on an hour, they came with arm loads of equipment. Trailing behind them, arms full and shaking with the weight of the delivery, were Luke and Graham.

Luke didn’t say much, clearly sombre and displeased with the situation. Graham on the other hand, immediately asked after Magnus and much to everyone’s displeasure there was no answer to give him.

Within the next hour, Catarina and Maia returned. Cat didn't speak, she didn't greet anyone or welcome their gasps of relief. She simply set to work. Along with Luke -with his first aid training- and a handy YouTube tutorial curtsy of Jace's iPhone, Alec was somewhat stable. Cat made sure to remind them that he needed antibiotics, for an infection was inevitable with their circumstances, and that he would eventually need more blood to replenish what he had lost.

Izzy wasn't ignorant to the fact that when Cat spoke, she met no one's eyes.

In only 2 hours, so many people had come and gone that Isabelle had begun to lose count.

But when Raphael finally arrived, he stole all of her attention.

Looking up from where she was perched in a fold-away chair beside her brother’s makeshift bed, Izzy immediately noticed that Raphael was alone. That in and of itself was enough to raise alarm bells, and immediately Cat jumped forward, asking him where Magnus was.

It was only Clary that dared to ask the question that everyone was really thinking.

“Where’s Simon?”

It was clear from her voice that she was terrified, her words unsteady and filled with palpable nerves. She stood away from Raphael, beside Jace and Luke, and looked as though she were forcing herself not to grab either one for support.

Raphael looked up at her and for all of the times that Raphael had looked angry and dark, he now looked deadly. The spark in his eyes had been extinguished and all that was left was a hollow, sorrowful emptiness, and a rage that sent shivers down Izzy's spine. 

He didn’t say anything and it was clear that that was enough of an answer for Clary, who let out an ear-piercing wail and collapsed into Jace’s side. He caught her, cradling her against him while she screamed.

Izzy forced her eyes away from her girlfriend, and watched as Raphael approached. She could fell the swelling of her throat, her sorrow making it almost impossible to breath. She could faintly hear crying; Jace, Maia and Cat joining in with Clary’s sobs. She could hear Luke consoling Clary, his own sadness evident in his tone and how his voice broke.

Raphael joined her, sitting cross-legged beside Alec and simply resting his head against his best friend’s stomach. He didn’t say anything and simply stared ahead, snuggling against Alec’s body and likely taking comfort in the rhythmic rise and fall.

Isabelle was the one to break the silence. “Where have you been?”

Raphael didn’t move or indicate in any way that he had heard her question. After a moment or two in which Izzy prepared to repeat it lest he really didn’t hear her, he spoke.

“Burying my boyfriend”, he said simply, his voice betraying nothing.

It was in that moment that Izzy lost it. Letting out a choked-up cry, she reached across and grasped Raphael’s hand. In the absence of Alec, Magnus and - more importantly - Simon, she would be there for him as best as she could.

Raphael didn’t respond to the touch but the very fact he allowed it spoke volumes.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Magnus sighed, shaking his head and running his hand down his face in pure exhaustion. He was past the point of tired now, and his body felt heavy with fatigue. His mind felt ready to sleep for a lifetime.

He looked up at his old apartment block from across the field, staring at the flames that still ravaged the building even 3 hours later. The damage of the explosion had been poorly contained, as ambulances fled to and fro, picking up the injured. He had heard from passers-by that the college just across the road had been badly hit and that some remaining staff had been significantly injured. He had already heard confirmation of at least 3 people being killed, whether in the apartment block or wandering the streets outside.

When he saw the police leave the scene with a gurney, signature black body bag resting on top, Magnus couldn’t help but choke on his tears. He had tried so hard to free his friend, but his weak arms and broken will had left him useless. When the sirens had drawn too close, Magnus had been forced to leave. Now, he regretted it dearly and, watching his friend be taken away like any other casualty, he felt shame. 

He looked across at the warehouse down the street, no outward indications of any life inside. He knew that that was where the group would go, knew it was the only safe place they would find with such a short amount of time before the cops arrived.

He stared at the windows, willing himself to join what remained of his family, but found himself unable to. Magnus watched the windows, the faint glow of a fire almost impossible to spot were he not searching for it.

He knew Alec was inside, and his body ached to see him, to make sure he was okay. But Magnus found that instead of stepping forward, his feet dragged him backwards.

Taking a deep breath, Magnus decided his fate and spun on his heel, sprinting down the street and away from the warehouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you guys think? 
> 
> What do you think is going to happen next? Whats going on with Magnus? And Raphael? Is everyone okay? Will anyone else die??.... let me know your predictions! <3


	13. Survivors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is hanging on by a thread and as the group desperately try to save him, Magnus works to forgive himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It is so nice to be back!
> 
> I'm so sorry about the wait, I know it's been a long time and besides the odd tumblr post I haven't explained my absence. Basically, to cut a long story short, I've had a really bad month. My mental health started to suffer, my school work has gone totally downhill, I've lost or gotten into arguments with so many of my friends and family and it just... piled up. So I'm sorry for the wait but I hope you can understand that writing was just not something I could do. 
> 
> I actually wanted to extend my thanks to the tumblr user homo-sandwich for their message on my tumblr post. It meant a lot, and definitely made me feel better about the whole thing, so thank you <3
> 
> Anyway, on a more positive note, I'm back. I plan to update once a week, maybe once every two weeks, but follow my tumblr and I'll keep you all updated on updates ;) With christmas coming up, I'll be off school and able to update more frequently!
> 
> On with the chapter we go!
> 
>  
> 
> WARNING: mentions of past rape/sexual assault, language, violence

“He’s going to die if we don’t get him to a doctor, Izzy”, Catarina repeated once more, shaking with panic and frustration. “We need to leave now!”

Izzy stared up at Catarina like she had grown a second head. “But-But how? Magnus said… Magnus said that we should keep low incase-”

“-Magnus isn’t here!” Catarina interrupted, her voice wavering and her throat tight. “We have to do this or he will die!”

Izzy watched her closely. She knew what being virtually alone was doing to Catarina after losing Ragnor and not having Magnus to confide in. The blonde was on edge, and clearly grappling for whatever semblance of control she could.

Izzy also suspected that losing Alec wasn’t something Catarina could stomach right now.

“Izzy”, Jace implored softly. “We have to do this… we have to try-”

“-I don’t know about that guys”, Maia interrupted warily.

Izzy spun to face the brunette, raising her eyebrow in confusion.

Maia was pale-faced, and even shaking minutely. She frowned at them, and immediately Izzy knew to anticipate bad news. In the last few weeks, she had grown disgustingly similar with that goddamn look.

Maia turned Luke’s phone around from where she was scrawling through the news to find out about the fire. The screen seemed out of focus for a moment before the words became clear. Sprawled across the screen in big black letters on a news page was a story, that read:

‘LAPD: EXPLOSION RESULT OF CRIMINAL MOB WAR, 14 WANTED’

“What the-”, Jace said, as he pushed himself out of the chair beside Alec’s makeshift bed and ran to Maia’s side. He snatched the phone, Maia saying not a word in resistance.

Everyone watched Jace- Clary clutched Luke’s arm, and Catarina and Izzy gaped from where they were stood beside Alec.

“’LAPD have reported that the explosion that occurred in downtown LA late yesterday afternoon appears to be the result of what officers are claiming is “two warring groups”. It is believed that the bomb placed in the flat shared by dance teachers Magnus Bane and Catarina Abigail Loss was the result of what LAPD Officer Mark Quan has described as “the clashing of two believed-to-be criminal mobs.” Magnus Bane, released under an hour before the attack, on bail from a murder charge, and a suspected 5 others, escaped the explosion”, Jace read aloud. “They have put out a list of individuals they wish to speak to, who they believe are directly or implicitly involved in the altercation that occurred.”

 There was silence for a moment, while everyone appeared to digest what Jace had read aloud.

Luke was the first to speak. “Who are considered ‘wanted’? If it’s not Alec, then we have a chance of getting him treated without him getting dragged off to prison.”

Jace nodded, although seemed to struggle comprehending what Luke actually said. After a minute or two, he straightened up and shook himself out of it.

“Okay”, he said, scrolling vigorously through the story. “There’s a list. They want to speak to Magnus Bane, Catarina Loss, Tessa Grey, Ragnor Fell, Raphael Santiago, Alec- dammit.”

Izzy sighed. “It doesn’t matter who else then, we’re screwed.”

“I understand Tessa – she works at the dance school- and the other two are obvious, but why would they want to speak to Alec?” Clary piped up nervously.

Jace turned to her with exasperation. “He’s Magnus’s boyfriend, and he was the one who collected Magnus from prison. As far as they’re aware, he was the last one who saw him.”

Clary nodded, as though she hadn’t even considered it before, and looked a little sheepish when Jace looked away with a sigh. She stood slowly, approaching the blond with caution.

“So we sneak him in”, she said simply, pressing a gentle hand to Jace’s shoulder.

Jace looked up at her, face contorted in confusion and disbelief. “Impossible.”

“Not if we happen to know someone in the hospital”, Clary insisted.

“And who do you know?”

Clary looked down at her feet. “Okay, so I don’t know anyone personally, but what if we paid someone off?”

Izzy watched her girlfriend with something akin to pity. “Babe, we don’t have any money, and the money left from the sale is in your account. Taking it out would flag down the authorities if they’re looking for you.”

“Well _are_ they looking for me?”

Everyone paused, eyes cast to Jace expectantly. Jace quickly checked Maia’s phone, scrolling excitedly. He grinned slightly. “No. There’s no Maia, Simon or Clary on the list.”

There was a momentary silence as they all spared a thought for both Ragnor and Simon. Clary’s breathing picked up, and Luke was quick to stand beside her when the redhead’s lip began to tremble.

“Okay, look”, Luke began, drawing everyone’s attention from their sombre thoughts. “Here’s what we’ll do. Clary and Maia will go and withdraw the money, Graham wasn’t on the list so he can go and find a doctor who’s willing to keep this out of the books. If we can find one, then we’ll sneak Alec inside.”

“Who will? Because I’m not leaving my brother”, Jace said sharply, standing.

“You’re on the wanted list, Jace! You’ve got no choice”, Luke explained. “Sorry.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hours later, tension was continuing to rise within the group as Catarina desperately attempted to keep Alec stable. Izzy and Jace had been relegated to the other side of the warehouse to wait, since their pacing did nothing but distract Cat.

Raphael had been the only one allowed to assist Catarina. His strong, stoic demeanour helped keep her calm and helping his best friend did the same for Raphael. They worked silently, replacing bandages and trying to help him as best as their mundane knowledge of medicine allowed them. Graham had managed to find some IV lines, which they connected gratefully.

“Are you okay?” Cat asked Raphael softly when the silence became too much.

Raphael looked up from where he was pressing on Alec’s side. He glared.

“Sorry”, Cat whispered, “stupid question.”

“None of us are”, Raphael lamented, his voice softening slightly. “But, no, I’m not. Right now though, I’m far more worried about making sure Alec stays physically okay, and then I’ll worry about whether I’m emotionally okay. Deal?”

Cat nodded, smiling reassuringly.

There was a quiet and broken gasp from the man below them. Catarina’s limited knowledge thanks to her mother meant that she was vaguely aware of the warning signs when Alec started to slip away, and she was quick to voice her concern.  

“Guys!” she called across to the Lightwoods. “Call Luke and tell him we need to move. Now.”

Izzy scrambled for the phone, grasping it desperately as she dialled Luke. Jace grabbed her, pulling her to his chest in an attempt to calm her, and Izzy looked up at him thankfully.

“Luke”, she breathed in relief, clutching her chest as she winced. “Cat’s concerned. We need to move, like now. Has Graham found someone?”

There was silence as Izzy listened closely. Raphael, Catarina and Jace waited impatiently.

“Thank God”, Izzy sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. “Okay, so where do we take him? What? But you said that they agreed- yeah, but…. Luke what if they- how do you know? Okay, okay… but if anything happens to him, Luke.”

Jace sighed, pulling himself away from his sister, limping towards the others. “Let’s just get him ready to move. Remember, we can’t let anyone see and there’s still cops down at the flat. I’ll go grab Luke’s car and pull up out front.”

He left swiftly, leaving Raphael and Catarina behind. Catarina looked over Alec nervously.

“Okay, we have to keep the IVs in, and keep him as straight as possible- don’t jostle him too much.”

Raphael nodded silently.

The pair of them quickly unhooked IVs from their stands, depositing them gently beside Alec. Each of them grabbed a side of the sheet under Alec’s body, wrapping it around him and the IV and blood bags still attached to him.

“We need more hands”, Cat sighed. “Iz!”

Izzy looked up from the phone and immediately noticed their situation. She quickly finished her conversation with Luke before putting the phone away and joining them.

“Where?”

“Take his feet”, Raphael said, his voice somewhat hoarse from disuse.

Izzy nodded, watching her friend closely before sighing and grasping her brother’s ankles.

“Steady”, Cat warned once more as her and Raphael pulled at the sheets, lifting Alec’s torso.

His head lolled backwards slightly, not supported by the sheet and Raphael paused. Catarina shook her head quickly. “He weighs a ton and we’re in a rush, he’s fine like this. Now move.”

Raphael nodded and with a grunt, pulling Alec as much into his arms as he could. Catarina seemed as though she were about to protest but simply helped support him, making sure the bags didn’t fall from his hold. Izzy stumbled backwards with a gasp of pain but carried on holding his legs and wondering backwards towards the door.

Jace swung open the door just as they reached it, and didn’t hesitate to take Izzy’s place. Together, he and Raphael carried Alec the rest of the way to the car just outside the door. Izzy held open the door as Catarina looked around them frantically.

“Guys, hurry”, she said nervously. Down the street, opposite the burnt down block of flats, were a large collection of police officers, forensic experts and fire fighters. Catarina balked when one of them appeared to look in their direction.

Jace quickly slammed the door shut, Alec safety tucked into the back. “Get in, now.”

Everyone scrambled. Izzy settled into the back with Alec, lifting his legs into her lap, and Jace took the wheel. Raphael quickly sat down in the passenger seat.

Cat looked between them all, frowning. “Where can I-”

Raphael stared at her expectantly, patting his lap. With a groan of embarrassment, Cat quickly climbed in and settled on his lap.

“If we don’t get pulled over for the dying man in the backseat, it’ll be for this”, she said, disgruntled. When she realised what she had said, she froze.

“Don’t say that word, please”, Izzy said softly. When Catarina turned back to look at her, Izzy ignored her gaze and stared at her brother, carting a hand through his tousled hair.

Cat nodded despite her not looking, and relaxed against Raphael as best she could. Raphael appeared to be just as nervous, for he wrapped his arms around her torso in an attempt at comfort; Cat expected it was both for her, and a little for himself too.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“This. Will. Never. Work”, Jace growled as he, Luke and Raphael carried Alec through the back of the hospital.

He glared slightly at Graham, who held open the fire exit door. Graham simply shrugged sheepishly, as though saying ‘there’s no other option’. Jace supposed he was right, but that didn’t mean that multiple wanted fugitives sneaking into a hospital to treat one of their injured, fellow-wanted fugitives, was a good idea.

Luke sighed. “It’s the best we got, Jace. Her name is Annalise, and she said her and her friend, Connor, will help us. They should both be on break right now, and said if we can get him into one of their empty rooms without being noticed then they’ll come help us.”

“Won’t work”, Jace repeated adamantly, as they continued on down the service hallway.

“He’s dying”, Catarina hissed from behind him. “And if we all get caught then at least he gets treated.”

Jace immediately shut up. He looked down at his brother.

Alec was pale, his lips almost blue. His face was scattered with cuts and smudges of dirt and dust.

Originally, they had all agreed that no one who was considered ‘WANTED’ should go with Alec, but looking down at him now and seeing how close he was to death’s doorstep, Jace completely understood why they had scrapped that idea.

Alec looked like death and the fear that that triggered in Jace, propelled him forward.

The group slowly exited the service hallways and turned onto what Jace could only assume was the main floor. It was surprisingly empty, with only one or two patients and a single doctor and receptionist. He paled slightly but followed everyone obediently.

Luke raced ahead, switching places with Cat to head towards the doctor, who was furiously scribbling at a chart. He got to her side and she appeared to immediately understand for she indicated down the hall.

Luke gestured for them to follow and before long, they were depositing Alec on a bed in the centre of a private room. The doctor Luke had spoken to followed them in, tapping away at her pager, and immediately took off her stethoscope to check his pulse.

“Talk about cutting it close guys”, she sighed, darting around the room to retrieve objects and machines that Jace couldn’t even attempt to name.

“We’ll give you more money if that’s-”

“-I’m not doing this for the money”, the doctor – who Jace supposed must be Annalise – interrupted. “I just can’t promise anything. He’s pretty banged up and it’s probably too late. Especially with only two doctors.”

“Speaking of”, Jace said, choosing to ignore what she had said. “Where’s the other one?”

“The other one has a name.”

Jace turned to the door, and was greeted by a tall, pale doctor. He had a chiselled, square jaw and a short beard. His hair was neat and resembled the style Magnus tended to use. His smirk was one of confidence and self-worth as he surveyed the room.

“Connor”, he greeted, winking at Jace.

Jace paled slightly, ducking his head to avoid the man’s gaze. When he looked back up, Connor was at Alec’s side, furiously assisting Annalise as best he could.

“Your friend wasn’t kidding. He’s in bad shape”, Connor growled slightly as he attended to Alec.

“Everyone out”, Annalise instructed.

Izzy looked panicked. “But the cops…”, she insisted nervously.

Annalise frowned, not once looking up from where she worked. “Dammit”, she groaned. “Anyone who isn’t a wanted fugitive, get the hell out. Anyone who is squeeze yourself into the corner behind the door, shut up and stay the hell out of the way.”

Izzy paled slightly. “Luke”, she stuttered breathlessly, “check the list.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Raphael, Izzy, Jace and Catarina stood and watched as Connor and Abigail finished bandaging Alec’s side. Being the only ones listed as wanted, they were forced and cramped in the corner, attempting to avoid being spotted or getting in the doctors’ way.

It had been easily over an hour and in that time, Isabelle had seen her brother flatline twice. Her body hadn’t stopped shaking since the first time, and she stared endlessly at the heat rate monitor as it steadily beeped.

When she finally tore her eyes away, she instead stared at her big brother’s face.

Connor looked up from where he worked. “The punctured lung was minor and wasn’t too bad. He should be able to heal without a chest tube, but we want him here for a few hours for observation. The lack of oxygen was the real risk. Although, his side was the main problem but we’ve stitched and bandaged as best we can without surgery.”

Catarina nodded slowly. “So the shrapnel… that didn’t cause the lung?”

“No”, the doctor insisted as he fluttered around the room busily. “If it had, he would have needed surgery whether you wanted him to or not. Count yourselves lucky that it looked worse than it was, or he’d have been caught.”

“Might still be”, Annalise piped up with a smirk. She looked across at the others and surveyed them for a moment.

With a deep sigh, she ran a hand down her face and groaned loudly. “You”, she said, pointing to Catarina. “You’re the least injured. Go get the others- I’m going to treat you guys next.”

Raphael gaped at her, and Izzy seemed equally as surprised. “We-we can definitely find some more money, it’s not a pro-”

“- I told you. The money isn’t a big deal”, Annalise promised.

“Speak for yourself”, Connor joked from beside her. When Izzy’s eyes darted to him in response, he shook his head. “Only kidding. Seriously, it’s our job to save lives. I mean, we could totally get fired for what we’ve done here today but… I’m not betraying my oath as a doctor, whether you’re criminals or not.”

“We’re not”, Izzy added quietly, looking between the doctors in awe. “Thank you, so much. I will never be able to repay you for protecting my family.”

Annalise nodded in acknowledgement, her attention diverting to the door as it swung open and Clary and Maia came in.  

“Whose first?” the doctor said, clapping her hands in preparation.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Isabelle had never been very patient and waiting for her brother to wake up reminded her that perhaps it was something she needed to work on. When the 4-hour mark was reached, and everyone had found other ways to occupy their time – namely, patching each other up, hacking into police radios or, in Luke’s case, shopping – Izzy was starting to go mad.

For four hours since the doctors had left them all, Alec had remained relatively unresponsive. He had shifted a few times, each of which had resulted in Izzy leaping from her chair like a maniac. Despite the looks of pity that Jace sent her, she did her best to ignore her embarrassment, and simply watch her brother’s chest rise and fall.

Their room wasn’t particularly large, and was tucked down in the maternity ward. Annalise had claimed it would prevent her superiors from wanting to check on them, since maternity only had one permanent attending and she wasn’t at work today. The worse they would deal with would be nurses, who they promised would be deterred by their warnings and the closed curtains.

Isabelle wouldn’t deny that she was tired. The day, besides being incredibly busy, had been exceptionally draining. The explosion and subsequent escape, the tears and screaming over their lost loved ones, the worry over Alec, the running and frantic attempts to save him, the race to the hospital, the constant panic over being caught… it was truly adding up for her.

When it had been 6 hours, she gave up fighting and eventually nodded off against her brother’s shoulder.

It was bright when she woke up.

“Okay, buttercup?”

Izzy groaned quietly, burying her head further into Alec’s shoulder.

“Careful. That kinda hurts.”

“How would you know?” Izzy said sleepily, looking up and across at her brother.

“Because Clary did that all the time”, Jace responded. His smile was small but full of affection. “Really kills the shoulder after a while.”

Izzy smirked, lifting her head and sitting up. “Yeah well, boobs mean that her head has a really comfortable pillow now”, she teased.

For a moment, Jace’s smile wavered. He looked down and bit his lip. When he looked up again, he watched his brother. “I’m happy for you”, he said sincerely, casting her a look before returning to watching Alec. “I’m still… it’s still difficult, but I am happy for you. And I don’t know how to explain how relieved I am that both you and Clary are okay. Especially after- well, after Simon.”

Izzy sighed, settling back into her chair. “I can’t really believe it yet”, she said softly. “It’s _Simon._ No matter how much you wanted him gone sometimes, it was almost nice that he was a constant in our lives.”

“He was kind of annoying though”, Jace teased, although his voice cracked slightly and his eyes were damp.

“Yeah”, Izzy agreed, nodding her head. “He was a sweetheart.”

Jace nodded, leaning forward to run a hand down Alec’s arm. He looked up at Izzy cautiously. “How you feeling?”

“Better after some sleep”, she said. “It’s been a few hours, we can have more pain relief, right?”

Jace nodded, reaching down to pry the packets of painkillers from Luke’s bag.

Since there was already such a great risk of being caught, Annalise had insisted that the hospital couldn’t provide anyone but Alec with pain medication, and that was only because he would desperately need something stronger than the drug store sold. Simply treating Alec and bandaging the others was enough to raise eyebrows and they just couldn’t risk anything further.

Izzy didn’t fault them for it, but it was a pain to dry swallow mild painkillers that really didn’t do much more than relieve her headache.

Annalise and Connor had been amazing and had significantly improved everyone’s condition. In some cases, all they could do was inform them of their injuries, but even something as simple as knowing they would survive was enough to significantly improve everyone’s mood.

Jace had 2 broken ribs, but besides painkillers and band aids for his cuts, there was little that they could do besides encourage rest. Catarina’s arm had required some simple stitches, and had been wrapped tightly. Maia had been checked for a concussion and if her current snoring was any indication; her resulting tiredness had caught up with her. Her leg had been severely bruised, but beside recommending crutches Connor had been at a loss.

Clary had been a slightly different story; her burns were pretty bad. Both doctors had had to clean her burns thoroughly, complaining when Clary refused surgery. They had done the best they could before connecting her to an IV. Izzy couldn’t quite remember their reasoning but it was something about electrolytes. She was also given ointments and a variety of stronger pain medication, although she was warned that she could only be allowed one or two doses before they were forced to stop and she would be required to use store bought painkillers like the rest of them.

As a result, while Maia slept in the corner, Clary was fast asleep across the couch, an IV stand beside her.

Izzy watched her carefully. She herself hadn’t had any serious injuries besides a bruised rib. They had warned her to keep an eye out for internal bleeding, so to report any changes to them, but luckily the throbbing of her head and the pain of her twisted ankle was enough to distract her from her chest.

“You as scared shitless as I am?”

Izzy snorted softly, running a hand through Alec’s hair absentmindedly as she observed Jace. “Pretty much”, she confirmed. “Probably about as scared as Magnus would be if he would just… s _how up._ ”

Jace watched her warily as she gripped Alec’s face between her palms and pressed a kiss to his forehead. She sighed deeply, resting her head against Alec’s.

“Where is he, Jace?”

Jace rubbed a hand down his face in exasperation. “I don’t-I don’t know, Iz. But he’ll be here.”

“And what if he doesn’t come, Jace? What then? What if Alec wakes up and Magnus _isn’t_ here?”

Jace sighed, settling back in his chair. He looked contemplative, as though thinking too deeply and arguing with himself. Izzy watched him carefully for a moment.

“Jace?”

Jace shook his head, his face contorted in anger and, taking a deep breath, he shot up from his seat. “That bastard’s gonna be here when he wakes up, Iz. Trust me.”

Without further ado, Jace stumbled from the room. Izzy spared a thought for how much pain he must be in, his limp barely noticeable as he barrelled through the warehouse door before she sighed, turning back to Alec and watching as his eyes fluttered to the steady tune of the heart rate monitor.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Magnus wasn’t sure what compelled him to seek comfort in Alec’s work of all places, but perhaps the very fact that it was a place full of so much torment while simultaneously being packed with booze was oddly comforting to him. He deserved to sit in this place, the memories of Alec’s attack haunting him and the temptation of intoxication lulling him into a false sense of serenity.

He deserved to feel like this, because while Alec was bleeding out in a warehouse, Magnus found himself unable to be at his side.

He wanted to be there. The idea that Alec might already be dead left him breathless and the fact that he wouldn’t have been there, he knew, would no doubt kill him. But he couldn’t move. Every time he so much as looked at the warehouse he knew they were hiding in, the guilt and the regret weighed so heavily on him that he could do nothing but stumble away again.

After failing to retrieve Ragnor from among the rubble before police began to enter the building, Magnus had been forced to flee without his friend. Ragnor would simply be disposed of by the police, since he had no family beside Magnus and Cat who were missing and wanted “criminals”. The embarrassment he felt at not being able to do such a simple thing for his fallen friend, and the guilt he felt for abandoning him, was carving a hole in Magnus’ chest.

Along with the fact that the very reason his friends were dead or injured because of him and his family’s stupid history with some stranger who had a kink for violence… it had driven Magnus to some form of self-punishment.

Sitting at the bar, desperate to wash away his sorrow with booze but unable to, was the very least of what Magnus knew he deserved.

He looked up at the clock on the wall. It had been 6 hours since the explosion, and around 5 since he’d walked away from his boyfriend.

As he sat, Magnus forced himself to think about what Alec might be doing now, and why he so desperately needed to get back to him.

 

 

_“It’s not about proving a point”, Alec promised. “Honestly. It’s about the fact that, before everything happened, I wanted to be with you. I still do. I want to not only love you emotionally, but also physically. I want that with you. And yes, admittedly the whole Camille thing has changed my plans a little with all of this but it’s still what I want. I want to be with the man that I love, knowing that even if someone else touched me first, you’re the one that’s going to touch me last.”_

_Magnus watched Alec with wide eyes full of tears, absorbing every word that his boyfriend said. The devotion and love evident in every look Alec gave him and every word Alec said reminded Magnus of how blissful he had felt before everything with Camille took place._

_Magnus shook his head slightly. “Alec, we can’t.”_

_“Why?” Alec demanded. “Because you’re worried about how Camille affected me? Well you know what, I’ve already told you how she made me feel; violated and dirty and sad. But why the hell should I let that stop me from feeling the complete opposite with you?”_

_“Alec”, Magnus sighed somewhat tiredly. “After what happened to me… I could barely look at myself. I had trouble showering, Alec. You can’t tell me that you’re comfortable enough already to be with me like that.”_

_Alec sighed, shaking his head slightly as he sat back, putting some distance between him and Magnus. “We’re different people Magnus”, Alec insisted. “I’m older, more mature and… this is a completely different situation. You wanna know how?”_

_Magnus remained silent, head bowed as he refused to look at Alec._

_“The difference is”, Alec said firmly, “that she did what she did to you because she was jealous. She wanted to do what, in her eyes, would fix you. It was still wrong and horrific, but she arguably did that with her own fucked up good intentions. With me, everything she did was malicious. She didn’t want to fix me, she wanted to break you.”_

_Magnus looked up at Alec in shock but Alec simply continued, too worked up to even look at Magnus._

_“The reason that that makes me and you different is because this wasn’t aimed at me in the first place”, Alec said. “She never wanted to hurt me and I know that. She wanted to hurt you. So, I’m not going to let what she did destroy me or destroy you, because that is what she wants. She wants to destroy what we have because she wants to destroy_ you _.”_

_Alec was red in the face as he spoke and Magnus simply sat back to watch him and the emotions that passed across his face. Truth be told, Magnus was speechless._

_Alec finally moved closer, taking Magnus’ hands again and speaking slightly softer, his voice distorted by his crying. “I am ready to be with you because I know, deep down, that Camille did what she did because she wants to hurt the man that I love. So, even if only for him, I am moving past it because I swear to God I will not see her wishes come true on this.”_

_Magnus felt a stray tear fall down his cheek, wetting his skin and making him feel vaguely free. Alec gently stroked the tear from below his eye before leaning forward to kiss the place he had caught it. Magnus took a deep breath as he did._

_“I was ready to be with you before what happened and I am still ready now, regardless of what she tried to do. I said I wasn’t going to let her take this away from me, none of it. So, right now I want to completely ignore what she did because it isn’t relevant. I love you and I want to be with you because I love you. Her violating me and hurting me does not change the way I feel about you or the way I feel about being intimate with you. All it does… is make me hate her.”_

_Magnus remained still as he looked over Alexander; he was sitting, back straight, the perfect image of strength. His eyes were unwavering and showed not an ounce of hesitation._

 

Magnus stared ahead at the bottles lining the back wall, thinking. If there was one thing that Alec had always been firm in, it was his unwavering support of Magnus despite everything thrown their way.

No matter what, Alec had stood by him and never blamed him for anything that happened.

 

 

_“She tried to rape you?” Alec whispered in shock, almost as though if he didn’t say it then it wouldn’t be true._

_Magnus let his eyes flicker up to Alec’s and he grimaced. “Why do you think I suddenly got into fitness, into dance? She always was a bit forceful”, he said sarcastically._

_“This isn’t a joke, Magnus!”_

_Magnus rolled his eyes. “If it helps me accept it, then hell yeah it is.”_

_Alec sighed. Magnus watched as Alec’s face contorted with sadness and winced when Alec let out a sob. Alec quickly covered his mouth, attempting to stifle his sobs but they were too loud. Magnus watched him sadly._

_“It’s okay Alec. I’m okay. It’s just… that’s why I have trouble being with you…well, with them knowing. Will was the last guy I was ever really with and I... I can't go through that again”_

_Alec gasped for breaths around his tears and Magnus felt his heart clench at his boyfriend’s reaction. "But, you're so confident? You flirted with me openly the whole time?"_

_Magnus nodded. "Sometimes confidence is the best way to hide fear", he said simply._

_Alec took a shuddering breath and threw himself in Magnus’ arms, clutching him tightly. “I am so sorry”, he cried into his boyfriend’s shoulder._

_Magnus smiled sadly, feeling his throat tighten as he withheld his own tears. “It’s not exactly your fault”, Magnus said hoarsely._

_Alec sniffed into the material of Magnus’ shirt, shaking his head. “You don’t deserve to be treated like that. Why have you spent your entire time so far talking about how I deserve to be treated when you were treated like that?”_

_Magnus closed his eyes and tried desperately to block out the sounds of Alec’s tears. His heart was slowly cracking under the weight of the guilt and sympathy he felt for Alexander._

_“Listen to me, Alec. I’m okay. I love that you’re worried, that you’re upset, but I am okay. Honestly. The only problem I have is with everyone knowing about us, and you’ve already accepted that. That’s all I need from you”, Magnus said quietly, pressing a kiss to Alec’s hair as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend._

_Alec nodded into his chest. “I get it now.”_

Alec would hardly blame Magnus when Magnus himself didn’t know what was happening. He was as vulnerable and in the dark as everyone else was.

But Magnus was putting Alec’s _family_ in danger. His _friends._

_Magnus winced, closing his eyes as though it would protect him from the guilt that rained over him. He felt all of the earlier energy he had drain from him, and his entire body drooped with the weight of reality. Magnus bit his lip to control his crying; the only person that was allowed to cry right now was Alec._

_When he looked up to face Raphael, he was shocked to see tears streaking his cheeks. Only once before had Magnus seen Raphael cry, and that was when he had found out about Camille’s first offence. Magnus blocked the memories as hastily as he could, refusing to allow himself the time to contemplate them. Now, it was about Alec._

_“You gotta be there for him”, Raphael cried softly._

_Magnus watched as Raphael began to wipe angrily at the liquid around his eyes, pulling his hand back to inspect the tears with a sort of disgust._

_Magnus nodded slowly. “I know, I plan to be. I-I could never leave him to deal with this alone.”_

_“Good”, Raphael said simply, voice hoarse. “He really, really needs you now. Not me, or Izzy or Jace. You.”_

_“I know”, Magnus said passionately. “I’ve been through this exact situation, I’m the best to talk to about this.”_

_Raphael shook his head sharply. “No”, he protested. “That helps but that’s not_ why _. He just needs_ you _.”_

Without another moment of hesitation, Magnus jumped from the bar stool and exited the bar.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

“There aren’t many more reports. No one has been taken into custody, at least not as far as CNN knows”, Maia said, flicking through the laptop Luke had provided them.

Izzy nodded. “Okay”, she said, carting her hand through Clary’s hair.

Clary groaned slightly as she sat up, leaning against Izzy. She was sure to avoid any contact with Clary’s left side, all too aware of the burns.

“At least wherever he is, he hasn’t been caught”, Clary added quietly, her voice hoarse.

“He will be eventually”, Luke piped up from she he sat beside Alec’s bed. “The cops are all over this. An entire building was blown up. He needs to get here and then when Alec wakes up we all need to get out of the state.”

“We?” Clary asked suddenly.

Luke looked confused for a moment, before he frowned across at Clary. “Yes, we.”

“No way”, Clary insisted, shaking her head. “You’re already involved enough. You’re not going on the run with us, they’re not looking for you.”

“And they’re not looking for you, but you’ll go anyway”, Luke argued.

Clary looked down at her hands, her fingers playing with the edge of the grey hospital blanket that was draped across her. “I have to”, she said softly. Luke strained to hear her properly for her voice was so quiet.

“You know we’d never force you to come with us, Clary” Izzy said sweetly, bending to deposit a kiss on Clary’s head.

“I know”, Clary promised. “But I have to. For Simon. He’d never leave because he was frightened, and if he had lost me he’d do it to make me proud and protect the people I love. So, this is me... doing the same.”

Her voice had grown weak as she spoke and Izzy knew before she felt the tell-tale shaking of her shoulders that Clary was crying.

“I’m doing this”, the red head insisted tearfully. “Whether you want me to or not, Luke.”

Luke met Izzy’s eyes over Clary’s head. There was something in them akin to a warning. Izzy simply nodded, understanding exactly what he was asking her.

She would protect Clary as best as she could, because losing Clary after everything else that had happened, was just not in the cards.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

The warehouse was hauntingly empty when Magnus arrived. The door was closed and inside was clear evidence that his friends had been there.

The grey, concrete floor was littered with blood stains and used bandages. There was a makeshift bed in the centre of the room, and random objects and pieces of clothing were sprawled around the entirety of the room. There was half-eaten food, discarded water bottles and empty boxes of band aids and bandages. Standing beside the bed were what Magnus could only guess were IV stands.

However, the clearest indicator of his friend’s having been there had to be Jace. He sat in the centre of the room, on the makeshift bed which Magnus, walking closer, could now see was crispy and darkened with blood.

His stomach plummeted. _Alec’s_ blood.

When he met Jace’s eyes and saw the look in them, everything screeched to a stand-still. His knees disappeared from under him. Collapsing to the floor, he choked on a sob. “No”, he begged desperately.

Jace’s eyes widened and he hastily shot from his chair to catch Magnus. “No, no, no, no”, he insisted, catching the Asian in his arms and supporting him as best he could. “Alec’s alive. He’s alive, Magnus!”

Magnus stared at him, eyes wide and face pale like a ghost. “But, you looked-”

“-Pissed off, yeah”, Jace interrupted. “Pissed at you, actually. But Alec? He’s alive.”

Magnus gasped, ducking his head to catch his breath. “Oh God”, he moaned breathlessly. “You scared the crap out of me.”

Jace sighed, stepping back slightly as Magnus settled on the floor and attempted to compose himself. He put his hands in his pockets.

“And you’re currently scaring the crap out of my sister, who’s shitting herself thinking that our brother’s going to wake up without you by his side.”

Magnus tensed, staring down at his hands where they grappled uselessly at the concrete floor. He took a second to steady his breathing. “How is he?”

“You’d know if you were there”, Jace hissed.

Magnus recoiled slightly, wincing at the aggression he heard in Jace’s voice. “I know”, he whined quietly. “I don’t- I’m sorry.”

“Just get your ass up and go see my brother before he wakes up. If you’re not there, no apology will make him feel better about that Magnus.”

Magnus nodded slowly, sitting back and looking up at Jace. “Whose there?”

Jace’s face seemed to contort as it dawned on him that Magnus still wasn’t aware who had survived. He was silent.

“Oh God, don’t tell me Raphael-”

“-Simon”, Jace said softly.

Magnus froze, his eyebrows furrowing as tears gathered at his eyes. “What?”

“Simon died, not Raphael. Raphael, Cat, Maia and Clary are okay but… Simon died. Raphael buried him.”

Magnus flinched once more at how harsh Jace’s voice was. Jace must have noticed, for he slowly lowered himself to Magnus’ side and sat beside him. Magnus didn’t look at him, but smiled ruefully, thankful for the company.

“How is Raphael?”

Jace shrugged. “How would you be if it were Alec?”

Magnus buried his face in his hands, his breath ragged. He took a moment to compose himself, but when he looked back up his face was streaked with tears. They carved pathways in the dirt and rubble left on his face that his brief restroom stop hadn’t washed away.

“How is everyone else?”

“Everyone else is alive, so that’s something”, Jace said thankfully. “Clary is pretty badly burned but, besides Alec, burns are the worst any of us have got.”

“Okay”, Magnus breathed. He sat there for a moment, watching the younger Lightwood. They shared a moment between them, similar to that of when they had found one another alive amongst the rubble, and before they knew it they were wrapped in another hug.

“Two hugs in one day”, Jace mused teasingly, burying his face in Magnus’ shoulder. “New record.”

Magnus chuckled wetly, his tears a reminder of their situation. Slowly he pulled away and patted Jace’s arm appreciatively. “Thank you.”

Jace nodded slowly. “Know how you can repay me?”

Magnus smiled slightly, knowing the answer already. He decided to entertain the blond anyway and simply shrugged.

“Go wake my big brother up”, Jace said, although it came out almost as a beg.

“Do you ever think our luck will run out one day?” Magnus asked suddenly, as the pair rose to their feet.

Jace shot him a look of disbelief. “You call this lucky?”

“Of course not”, Magnus sighed, shaking his head adamantly. “But I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I mean… when Camille attacked Alec she cut his exterior jugular and he could have died, but he didn’t. When she died I could have been charged and convicted of her murder, but I was let off on bail. When that bomb went off, Alec was right there and should have died, but he didn’t. I just feel like I’m waiting for the inevitable.”

Jace paused, watching Magnus. He sighed, shaking his head. “You better get rid of the down-in-the-dumps attitude before you see my brother, dude.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you guys think! What are your predictions?
> 
> Also guys, from now on I'm going to be following the tag #ansmalec on tumblr, so feel free to drop a tweet or live-tweet on there... look forward to seeing what you guys think :)


	14. Morphine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec finally wakes up, and the group begin to mend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit of an emotional roller-coaster but after all the angst that's happened I just couldn't help but throw in some humor and adorable-ness to tide us all over. I will admit this chapter gets kind of silly and fluffy, but I actually kind of love it. The light-heartedness is definitely needed, me thinks. 
> 
> Anyway, ENJOY!
> 
> WARNINGS: none

In the end, it was bordering on 12 hours since the attack that Izzy finally saw Magnus again. He was worse for wear, his injuries clearly not having been treated, but he was relatively clean. If the way he nervously slipped into the room said anything it was that he was embarrassed, and presumably frightened of being caught. Izzy assumed that was the reason for the new, startlingly plain clothes he sported.

She spared a thought for how Magnus should be more scared of her than the cops finding him, before the look on his face made her pause.

Instead of the literal smackdown that she so badly wanted to deliver, Izzy greeted him with a gentle pat on the shoulder.

“How is he?” Magnus asked.

Izzy forced herself to be civil, despite the brewing anger she felt. “Alive, that’s all that matters.”

Magnus looked back at her and she could immediately tell that he recognised her upset. He was more than familiar with it, having so intimately been there for her after her first kiss with Clary. Perhaps it was the nostalgia that made her pity him.

Magnus simply turned away and watched Alec closely.

“And not in pain”, Izzy added, her voice slightly softer. “He’s… not in pain.”

“Will be when he wakes up”, Jace teased as he joined Izzy on the couch in the room.

Magnus cast him a look. “Why’s that?”

Jace sighed. “The doctors said that they can’t keep him here for more than a day, maybe two, or we’re pretty much guaranteed to get caught. They’ll keep him on morphine until he wakes up, then the moment he’s safe to move, we’ve gotta go.”

There was a moment of silence before Magnus nodded slowly. He sat himself down in the chair beside Alec’s bed, hesitating for a moment before leaning over to grasp his hand. He released a breath, running his fingers across the skin of Alec’s palm. It was rough under his touch, small cuts embedded in the skin. Magnus frowned, watching the skin stretch where he pulled it.

He choked, his eyes flickering up to Alec for a moment before he pulled his hands up to his lips. He littered kisses across Alec’s torn skin, sighing when Alec did no more than breathe deeply.

“Who treated him?”

“Two doctors; Annalise and Connor”, Jace said, lounging back into the couch and swinging an arm around Izzy to pull her against his side. “Could lose their jobs if they got found out, which is why they’ve given us a deadline.”

Magnus nodded silently. “That was… very kind of them.”

“Yeah”, Jace whispered.

Izzy sighed, pushing herself from Jace’s arms and sitting forward on the couch. “Where were you?” she said, straightforward and impatient.

Magnus pulled away from Alec and settled into the seat. He met Izzy’s eye confidently, but she could tell from the way he slouched slightly that he was uncomfortable.

“I stayed and… I tried to pull Ragnor”, he swallowed deeply, “I tried to pull him out of the rubble, but I couldn’t. I-I couldn’t get this big slab off of him. So, I just… I ended up leaving and I went to the bar and just sat there. For hours. I don’t- I don’t know.”

Izzy nodded in understanding. She turned to Jace, patting his leg softly. “What took you guys so long to get here?”

Jace rested a hand over hers. “We stopped off at the shop. I ran into the shop and we got Magnus cleaned up.”

“Your injuries are still-”

“-They’re fine”, Magnus interjected. “I probably have – or had, I guess – a concussion and my sides a little sore but… honestly, Isabelle, I’m fine.”

“I’m glad”, she said softly, reaching across to grasp his shoulder firmly. “He’ll be glad to wake up to you, when he finally decides to stop being so damn lazy.”

“Careful, he might hear you”, Magnus laughed dryly, turning back to Alec to ruffle his hair gently.

Alec’s face was certainly cleaner than the last time Magnus had seen it, dark with rubble and dirt. His eyes were heavy but the rings beneath them were gone now. His skin was white, paler than Magnus remembered it beneath his hands.

Skimming his fingers down Alec’s cheek, Magnus remembered the last time he had done so. Standing in the police station, holding Alec again after weeks of being without him, his skin so soft and welcoming under his touch.

Despite the definite signs that Alec was ill – or on death’s door just hours prior – he was beautiful. If there was one thing Alec would always be, it was beautiful.

Magnus forced himself to look away lest he get even more emotional than he already was. He instead turned to face Clary, Catarina and Maia.

The trio had waited patiently for Magnus to see Alec, Catarina standing farthest away to allow him as much time as she could before he was required to face the music. Her eyes were soft and affectionate, but there was little that could be done to hide the sadness and the anger that sparkled in them.

Magnus winced slightly, before avoiding the confrontation for as long as possible. His cowardice got the better of him and he turned to Clary first.

“How are you, biscuit?”

Clary grinned at the nickname. “Been better”, she said sadly, gesturing to her side.

Magnus let his eyes run over her. She had been badly burned down her side, that much was apparent from the bandages and the IV that stuck into her arm. She sat in her seat awkwardly, clearly reluctant to put any weight on her injured side.

“You’re still as stunning as ever, darling”, Magnus said softly. His eyes pricked with tears as he watched how his words caused Clary to blush and shake her head.

“Luckily it didn’t damage my face much”, she said. Magnus couldn’t help but agree, thankful that the flames had only managed to eat away at the skin up to her jawline. Not for his own sake – no, he was of the firm belief that Clarissa would be beautiful regardless – but for her. He suspected Clary wouldn’t take well to having her face destroyed so resolutely.

Magnus sighed, shaking his head. “You’d be beautiful regardless, biscuit.” He couldn’t resist winking, pleased by the grin it prompted.

Next, he turned to Maia. She looked well, clearly far less injured than anyone around her. She had a basic drug-store ankle support but beside that, the only sign she had even been involved was the small cut across her left eyebrow.

“And you, Maia?”

Maia nodded. “I’m okay, Magnus. Headaches are the worst card I’ve been dealt”, she smirked.

Magnus smiled thankfully. “Nice for some”, he teased.

Catarina, clearly impatient, coughed pointedly. Magnus met her eye warily, his confidence shedding the moment their eyes met.

The room fell mysteriously silent as he and Catarina watched one another.

“You ass”, Catarina finally spoke, before pushing her way towards Magnus.

Magnus was instantly receptive to her hug, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing as tightly as he dared when both of them were injured. He hummed thankfully into her neck, inhaling the smell she carried that reminded him so often of his home. He stroked her hair – a habit he had picked up many years ago, after they had quickly discovered it soothed her rather effectively.

Catarina hiccupped, her voice wet. “He’s gone”, she said breathlessly.

Magnus bit his lip, and refrained from reacting further than a nod. He sighed deeply, kissing her forehead. “Yeah”, he sighed.

Catarina moaned sadly, burying her face into his neck. “Thank you for trying.”

Magnus nodded again. “Like I could do anything else”, he said nonchalantly. 

The blonde laughed softly, pulling away to smile at him. “He’d have kicked your ass if you didn’t even try.”

“No, my dear. He would have kicked my ‘arse’”, he said jokingly, dragging out the word in a terrible attempt at a British accent.

Catarina grinned, wiping her eyes. “On his behalf I’ll tell you that was a ‘piss-poor’ impression, Magnus.”

“He’d thank you for that, y’know.”

“Of course,” Cat beamed.

After a moment, she took a deep breath and stepped away from him. “Have you seen Raphael yet?”

Magnus sighed, rubbing a hand down his face as the mood immediately switched. “No”, he said solemnly. “I thought he’d be here.”

“Left not long ago”, Izzy informed him. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he was back at the warehouse.”

“No, we were just there” Jace said confidently. He looked at Magnus and raised an enquiring eyebrow. “Know anywhere else he’d go? Besides home.”

“You think the police will be there?” Clary asked quietly as she shifted on her seat.

Jace shrugged. “Better safe than sorry.”

Magnus ignored them, thinking. “I don’t know of anywhere else he’d go, besides…  Clary”, he spun to her abruptly. Clary raised her arms in surrender.

“What’s Simon’s address?”

*****

 

Leaving Alec’s side, especially after actually standing beside that hospital bed and looking down at his lover’s body, was hard. Both Lightwood siblings had been adamant he shouldn’t leave, but as Magnus had said; this was _Raphael._ And he had just lost _Simon._

It was still hard for Magnus to comprehend, so how Raphael was coping Magnus was unsure. Even the idea of Raphael without Simon, or Simon without Raphael, was a foreign one to them all. The pair weren’t inseparable or anything, but they had co-existed so comfortably, and completed one another so idyllically, that the very idea of them not dying together in their sleep at an old age felt like such a miscarriage of justice.

Magnus was angry. Angry not only for Raphael’s loss – because he couldn’t even imagine being in his place, despite how close he had come – but also for the _Simon._

They hadn’t exactly been close but Simon had been such an inherently good person.

It wasn’t _fair._

Drawing closer to the address Clary had given him, Magnus felt his lips tremble. He looked up at the apartment block, frowning at the fact that he had never been here before. The fact that he had never stepped foot into the other side of Simon’s life – Simon’s life without them – just reminded him of all he was deprived with Simon’s loss.

He bit his lip, unsure for a moment whether Raphael would welcome his intrusion. Deciding that it didn’t matter, that Raphael needed this, he pushed open the lobby door.

The lobby wasn’t fancy – no place in the middle of LA that was even remotely within Simon’s price range ever would be – but it was welcoming in an oddly familiar way. Magnus could easily picture Simon here, excitedly inviting them all over for some weird movie marathon or a game night.

He approached the elevator, slipping inside and hesitating momentarily before pressing ‘4’.

The elevator rattled as it rose precariously, and Magnus could once more hear Simon’s voice in his mind; the endless jokes or references that he could ramble off while trapped in the death trap this apartment block so bravely deemed ‘transport’.

He would no doubt find this place incredibly interesting. Magnus loathed to admit it, but it did have a sort of charm about it. It almost reminded him of somewhere the protagonist, future-superhero might reside.

When the doors opened, their creak so loud Magnus literally winced, he stepped out and into the hallway. Simon’s room was one of the 5 on the floor, tucked away at the end of the hall.

Magnus followed the path down and despite knowing which door would be his, he found himself counting door numbers as he walked.

When he reached the door, he paused. The dark wooden door was ajar just slightly, the worn and shabby carpet of Simon’s entry visible.

Magnus raised an eyebrow, pushing the door open cautiously.

His attention was immediately drawn the walls of the hallway. Interspersed between strange comic book and movie posters were pictures; Clary and him, arms looped around one another and beaming widely, teeth missing and acne on their cheeks; Simon, Isabelle and a clearly unenthusiastic Alexander stood in front of a crowded arena doorway; Simon and Raphael squeezed in between people Magnus could only guess were Simon’s family, grinning nervously but genuinely; Simon and Raphael stood under an archway of flowers, the sun in the distance and goofy smiles on their faces as they waved at the camera.

Magnus looked away. He looked down at his hands, trying desperately to ignored the sadness he felt.

He jumped when the distinct sound of glass smashing sounded behind him. He leapt forward, heading around the corner into the living space.

He half expected to see police, perhaps even some of the people after them, reaping enjoyment from destroying Simon’s things like they destroyed his body. Instead, he found Raphael, darting around the room and periodically smashing or breaking something.

He began shouting as he raged about the room. He spun on his feet, as though so overwhelmed with the availability of breakable objects that he was unsure which direction to head in.

He settled for the TV stand that was decorated in frames. Simon’s grin was visible even from where Magnus stood, frozen in the doorway.

Raphael screamed desperately, hurling frames across the room and kicking furniture as he wailed. His anger, his resentment and his heartbreak were painted across his skin for everyone to see. He sobbed angrily, pulling at his own hair as he stormed the room and destroyed anything he saw.

He tore at couch cushions, smashed glass and threw himself around the room with a rage that Magnus had never seen in him before. His shouts were indistinct and impossible to understand, but sprinkled amongst his shouts Magnus could hear the words ‘dead’ and ‘no’.

Magnus broke into a sob as he crossed the room. He caught Raphael mid-stride in his arms, swinging them around his back and holding his younger brother to his chest.

Raphael fought, screaming and hurling insults. His voice was scratchy and his breathing was heavy as he flailed in Magnus’s arms, desperate to escape his embrace and continue to vent his aggression.

Magnus cried, holding him as tightly as he could manage and whispering his assurances into Raphael’s ear. Raphael’s screaming didn’t relent, but his fighting slowly grew weak when he recognised who it was.

His reluctance was still clear and he still attempted to break Magnus’s hold but his fighting pattered off into barely-there swipes and wriggling in his friend’s arms.

After what was easily ten minutes, Raphael stumbled slightly. The air was heavy around them as the tension between Raphael’s shoulders finally slipping away.

Magnus sobbed with him, clutching him tightly and hugging his brother. Raphael’s screams and wails pattered off eventually, leaving behind gasping breaths and moaned cries. He hung his head, crying in defeat as he allowed Magnus to comfort him.

Magnus pulled back slightly, enough to turn Raphael in his arms. Raphael didn’t protest and threw his arms around his brother’s neck. His sobbing continued until his eyes were dry, and his grip on Magnus didn’t once wain. Magnus held him obediently, crying quietly, distraught at the pain Raphael was feeling.

“Oh Raphael”, Magnus sighed, stroking his hand down Raphael’s back.

Raphael gasped slightly. “He’s dead. I-I don’t know what- what do I do? I don’t-”

“-It’s okay not to know”, Magnus insisted. “You’re not supposed to.”

Raphael shook his head vehemently, his panic rising and his breathing becoming uneven. “What- How do I… Magnus, I can’t handle this”, he sobbed.

Magnus closed his eyes, breathing deeply. “Losing the man you love… losing Simon, it isn’t something that you’ll ever be able to handle. There’s no quick-fix or solution to this, Raphael. You just have to… throw yourself in headfirst and cry your eyes out.”

Raphael broke further, submitting himself to his heartbreak and collapsing into Magnus’s arms as he did just that.

He threw himself in, and cried his eyes out.

 

****

 

Magnus settled back into the couch and brought the cup to his lips. He watched Raphael closely as the man took a reluctant sip of his coffee.

“Talk to me”, Magnus finally spoke.

Raphael frowned and rubbed a hand over his red eyes. “I don’t know if I can”, he admitted.

The crying had easily lasted an hour, perhaps even more. When Magnus had arrived he wasn't sure, but it was currently bordering on 5 o'clock. The room around them wasn't entirely destroyed, but Magnus had had to sweep up broken glass and vacuum the couch before setting Raphael on it. 

“Because you don’t know how to explain it, or because you’re not used to talking?”

The look he received was one of exasperation. Raphael sighed, “I don’t talk about things like this. Not with anyone but Simon or Alec.”

“Then, how about we go to the hospital, wait for Alec to wake up, and then you can talk to him?” Magnus asked softly.

Raphael turned to him and raised an enquiring brow. He surveyed Magnus briefly before he laughed humourlessly and turned away. “Don’t _you_ need to talk to him?”

Magnus sighed as he watched Raphael’s behaviour- he wasn’t unaccustomed to Raphael lashing out or being rude when he was upset, but it was disappointing to take two steps back for every step they took forward.

“I get all the time in the world to talk to Alexander. I’m sure I can sit this one out while you talk to your best friend, Raphael.”

Raphael nodded slowly, smiling ruefully. “Why do I have to open up about Simon, if you won’t open up about Ragnor?”

Magnus immediately began to shake his head, “I have Catarina for that. You have Alec for this.”

“It’s not the same”, Raphael insisted.

“Yes, it is”, Magnus said firmly. He sat forward, setting his cup on the coffee table and levelling Raphael with his most serious look. “This is the same thing. I have my best friend to talk to, you have yours.”

Raphael swallowed a large gulp of his drink. Magnus suspected he was giving himself a moment to think. “He has bigger problems right now.”

“What?” Magnus scoffed. “Everyone he cares about – save Simon – is okay. He is okay. You know he’d never leave you to deal with this loss on your own.”

“It doesn’t matter if none of his precious siblings died, Magnus. We’ve all got enough going on right now, without dumping our baggage on each other.”

Magnus laughed, slumping back in his seat as he regarded Raphael with shock. Raphael raised an eyebrow as he side-eyed his brother. “Seriously”, Magnus sneered. “Who are you, and where’s Raphael? Because the Raphael I know wouldn’t be wallowing in self-pity right now.”

“No”, Raphael agreed, “He wouldn’t. He’d be smashing and breaking things, and sitting in silence by himself to give himself space to think, but you saw fit to prevent that, didn’t you?”

Magnus recoiled as though he had been slapped. “This behaviour… it’s not you. And hell, I don’t expect you to be yourself right now. God knows if it were Alec we had lost, I’d be a mess. But this self-pity and self-conscious crap has to end.”

Raphael was quiet as he contemplated Magnus’ words. He looked at Magnus over his cup. “Y’know, most friends would be a little kinder than usual given the circumstances.”

“Brothers are there to smack you ‘round the head and give you much needed reality checks”, Magnus argued. “This is me, testing out a new technique I like to call ‘reality principle 101’. Although if this isn’t working, we could try spanking.”

Raphael rolled his eyes, but Magnus was quick to note the slight twitching of the right side of his mouth.

Magnus smirked around the rim of his mug; he wasn’t an idiot and he knew Raphael better than he cared to admit. He knew that Raphael wasn’t one to be coddled and the sobbing and hugging he had witnessed earlier had been a one-time deal. Raphael was someone who needed brutality and honesty in these situations, and regardless of how horrible it made Magnus feel to be so harsh, he was aware it was his only chance of getting through to the younger man.

“Get up”, Magnus instructed as he rose from his seat. He waved an arm at Raphael to speed him up.

Surprisingly, Raphael jumped to his feet with no argument. He had gone quiet and Magnus just hoped it was because he was thinking over what he had said, as opposed to giving up and hoping silence might dissuade the older man. Magnus was a prideful man, and not even silence would stop him today.

“I want to go to the hospital and see my gorgeous boyfriend’s eyes again. You need and – whether you admit it or not – _want_ to see your best friend. Now, conveniently, said people happen to be in the same place. So, move your ass and get going.”

Raphael stepped forward, throwing his coat around his shoulders. He hung his head, not meeting Magnus’ eyes, as he did so. When he turned to leave, he cast Magnus a small smile. “C’mon then”, he said, waving Magnus forward. “I want to go see Alec."

Magnus beamed, shrugging on his jacket. “Sounds splendid.”

 

 

****

 

 

Alec’s hair was always exceptionally soft. For someone who cared so little about his appearance and therefore was unlikely to purchase any hair care products outside of a basic $1 shampoo and conditioner, his hair was so well maintained that Magnus was often envious. Carding his fingers through it now, the feel of his hair gliding through his hands, his breath hitting Magnus’ wrist, Magnus felt a surge of relief. Looking across at Raphael, he was reminded again of how grateful he was that Alec was alive.

Losing something as simple as the opportunity to watch his lover sleep, his hair just calling out to be ruffled, would have killed Magnus. Albeit they had only woken up beside one another a handful of times, and only once in the exclusivity of an empty house.

So, Magnus watched Alec sleep. He may have only been granted such an opportunity once or twice, but Magnus prided himself on being an intelligent man. He had a knack for remembering finer details, after all he was a dancer and a great fan of ornate, elaborate things. So, Magnus was more than familiar with the signs of Alec waking up.

It started with his eyes. They rolled slightly under their lids, as though his dreams were slipping away and he was desperately searching for them behind his eyes.

Next was his lip smacking. Alec was definitely a lip smacker, and what started as the barely there twitching of his lips gradually became repetitive opening and closing.

Finally, were his hands. Alec wasn’t an overtly affectionate person, but when allowed the privacy to be soft and gentle, had never shied away from touching Magnus and holding him close. In his sleep, Alec grappled with Magnus’ hands, pulling and tugging them towards his chest as he shifted.

When Alec turned onto his side, Raphael, Izzy, Jace, Clary and Maia all became alert.

Magnus quickly shook his head. Alec wasn’t fond of attention, and waking up to countless watchful eyes would only make him uncomfortable.

Catarina slowly sat up from where she was slouched on the floor, hugging her injured arm to her body. She stepped toward Magnus, who looked at her in confusion.

“I’m just going to unhook his nasal cannula. He might get tangled in it as he moves”, she said softly. Magnus nodded his approval, grateful that she waited for it. She moved quickly and efficiently and Magnus found himself curious why she hadn’t headed down this path in life when she clearly had a knack for taking care of people.

When Catarina gently rested the cannula beside Alec’s head on the pillow, she stepped away again.

Magnus watched as Alec’s nose wrinkled, his breathing strengthening in the moments before he woke. His fluttering eyelashes peeled back, and ever so slowly, Alec blinked awake.

He was disorientated, that much was clear. He blinked rapidly, sniffling and shifting in his position repeatedly. His narrowed his eyes on the light above his head, wincing at its brightness.

Izzy was the first to react. She shot up and hastily flicked the light off. The room was suspended into darkness, the only light coming from the lamp in the corner of the room.

Alec hummed thankfully, raising a hand from where Magnus held them, to rub at his eyes.

Magnus sat forward, running his hands over Alec’s forearms to let him know he was there. Alec tensed momentarily, before he dropped his hand and met Magnus’s fond gaze. Magnus felt an uncontrollable surge of pride when Alec’s cheeks darkened and he hid his face in amongst his pillows as he blushed. Magnus laughed softly.

“Hello, love”, he greeted kindly.

Alec moaned quietly as he buried his head in the vinyl of the hospital pillow. It rustled under his head. “Magnus?”

Magnus beamed at the sound of Alec’s voice, so familiar yet so dearly missed. It was slurred and harsher than usual, and Magnus immediately noticed how dehydrated Alec sounded. He reached across the brunet below him to grasp a glass of water. With his free hand he slipped his arm under Alec’s back and gently sat him up.

Alec was uneasy, leaning entirely against Magnus. When it was clear he would need more help to sit up, Magnus quickly handed Raphael the water and squeezed onto the bed beside Alec. He slipped under Alec’s arm, and pulled the younger man against him. Alec leant against Magnus, head hidden in the crook of his neck, as he breathed deeply.

“Alexander”, Magnus encouraged gently, taking the glass back. Alec pulled back slightly, allowing Magnus to raise the glass to his lips and taking a few sips. “There you go.”

Alec hummed when he was done, returning his head to Magnus’s neck and moaning quietly. “You smell good”, he sighed pleasantly.

Magnus grinned, looking down at Alec fondly. “And you’re still on the morphine”, he remembered. He cast Maia a look, who grinned at Alec’s behaviour before nodding, heading out the door to find Annalise or Connor and let them know he was awake.

“Where are we?” Alec asked quietly as he deposited a kiss on Magnus’s skin.

Magnus rested a hand on Alec’s hair, tangling his fingers in the strands lovingly. “The hospital, baby.”

“Is Izzy pregnant?”

Magnus scoffed, tugging Alec tighter against him as he laughed. “No, love. Isabelle is not pregnant. She’s with Clary, remember?”

Alec hummed again. “I don’t know what Clary has”, he said dismissively.

Clary gasped from her corner in the room, her lips tugged into a wide smile. Isabelle giggled, and Jace and Raphael rolled their eyes.

“How long will he be like this?” Raphael asked tiredly, although it was clear he was enjoying the opportunity to gather dirt on his best friend.

Catarina smirked, shrugging. “Morphine tends to last, what, 4 hours? Probably about that, then.”

Jace snorted. “This should be good”, he teased.

Magnus nodded. He was actually grateful for Alec’s current state of inhibition, even if their enjoyment derived from Alec’s harmless embarrassment. They all needed a moment to laugh after everything, and before everything picked up again.

Deciding to have a little fun with it, Jace sat forward eagerly. “Hey, Alec!”

Alec groaned, blinking up at Jace from Magnus’s neck. When he spotted his brother, his raised his hand in a weak attempt at a wave. “Hey, Jace.”

Jace grinned. “Who’s hotter? Me or Magnus?”

Magnus turned to glare at the blond, entirely unsurprised that that would be Jace’s line of questioning.

Alec’s interest was immediately peaked, and he raised his head to look at Jace. He still leant heavily against Magnus’s side but he held his head up on his own. “That depends on the day.”

Magnus gaped, staring at Alec in offence.

Alec giggled before slapping a hand against Magnus’ cheek and rubbing his palm across the skin. “Don’t worry Mags, on all days ending in ‘y’, you’re the hottest.”

Magnus scoffed, bowing his head as he chuckled. Alec seemed pleased with himself, and turned to look at the others to gauge their reactions.

Clary and Izzy burst into laughter, Izzy shaking her head fondly at her big brother. Catarina and Raphael observed the exchange with grins, while Jace cried out at the insult.

“I’m the hottest on Christmas, Halloween and Easter then” he insisted.

“Christmas day, Easter Sunday”, Alec rattled off. “Halloween… day.”

Magnus’s cheeks hurt as he laughed, watching as Alec furrowed his eyebrows and looked up at him in confusion. “It’s Halloween day, right?”

Magnus nodded without thought, shooting Jace a smirk. “Sure is, baby.”

“Halloween day”, Alec repeated. He grinned across at Jace. “Jace, did you ever celebrate Halloween?”

Jace rolled his eyes, sitting back with less enthusiasm. “We celebrated it together every year when we were kids, dipshit.”

Alec shrugged. “Just because we did, doesn’t mean I did.”

Jace snorted. “You’ve forgotten the meaning of the word ‘we’, buddy.”

“It’s like ‘me’, but upside down”, Alec insisted. Before they were able to react, he threw himself from Magnus’s shoulder and backwards onto the bed.

Magnus gasped, reaching out to grab him and make sure he wasn’t hurt. “Alexander”, he gasped. “Are you okay?”

Alec nodded slowly, confused. “Yeah but my- my side tingles.”

“It will do, love. Don’t throw yourself around like that next time.”

Alec sighed, but nodded once more. He raised his hands to his eyeline and inspected them, gasping. “Woah, Mags. Have you seen my hands?”

“Up close and personal”, Magnus couldn’t help but tease. It earned him a disgusted cry from Jace’s direction.

“They’re kinda pink”, Alec said, shoving them into Magnus’s face for him to see. Magnus recoiled, chuckling.

“Yes baby, they kind of are, aren’t they?”

Alec hummed, and Magnus was seriously starting to suspect it was becoming a habit for the man. “Yours are darker than mine”, he stated as he watched Magnus’s hands closely.

Magnus rolled his eyes fondly and lifted his hands up to let Alec grab them. He did, pulling them over his head where he lay flat on his back. He turned them over repeatedly, inspecting them.

“I like the colour of your hands”, he finally spoke, dropping them and rolling onto his side. Magnus watched him cautiously, ensuring he didn’t turn onto the wrong side.

“Thank you, Alexander”, he said, watching Alec adoringly.

Clearly growing desperate, Izzy stood up and joined Magnus at Alec’s bedside. She crouched down so she was eye-level with her brother, smiling fondly. “Hi you.”

Alec grinned up at her. “Hi, you.”

Izzy giggled, running a hand across Alec’s face. “How are you feeling, big brother?”

“Like I have… cotton in my head”, he said slowly, his voice slurred as though he were drunk.

“You do?”

Alec wrinkled his nose. “No, why?”

Izzy narrowed her eyes, looking at Magnus who shrugged helplessly with an uncontrollable grin on his face. She sighed, turning back to Alec. “Did you say your head feels full of cotton?”

“Did you say that?” Alec asked innocently. “Why’s that?”

Izzy closed her eyes, shaking her head with a smile. “You’re so stupid on morphine, Alec.”

“You too”, Alec said tiredly, snuggling against the pillow. There was a moment of relative silence before, “When are we gonna have sex again?”

Izzy recoiled, her eyes wide. She looked up at Magnus, who was gaping, and burst into laughter. “I think that’s a question for you”, she told Magnus, cackling.

Magnus ignored the laughter around him, even Raphael having given up and bursting into chuckles at Alec’s words.

“What do you mean, Alexander?”

Alec side-eyed Magnus. “I mean, when are we going to have sex again? I have… deadlines to meet.”

“You have deadlines?” Magnus asked gently, forcing himself not to smile.

Alec nodded, very serious. “Yeah. So I need to- to know when.”

Magnus looked away as he grinned, not wanting Alec to get offended at his laughter. Alec watched him closely, entirely serious.

“When- uh, when do you want to?”

Alec looked thoughtful. “I don’t know”, he said finally. “When will Izzy be finished?”

“Finished what, Alexander?”

Alec rolled his eyes, throwing his head back and groaning loudly in exasperation. “Being pregnant. Don’t you listen, Magnus?”

Magnus couldn’t hold it in any longer and snorted with laughter. “Oh Alexander”, he sniggered. “Izzy isn’t pregnant.”

“Then who is?”

“No one”, Izzy interrupted, her voice light with amusement. “No one’s having a baby, Alec.”

Alec looked insulted. “Then why does Magnus keep saying that?”

Magnus furrowed his eyebrows, leaning over Alec to meet his gaze. “When did I say anyone was pregnant?”

“You keep saying baby!” Alec insisted.

Magnus pulled away, dropping his head into his hands as he chuckled. “Oh God”, he sighed quietly. “I love you.”

Izzy smirked at her friend before turning to her brother with a smile. “Alec, Magnus calls you ‘baby’ because it’s an affectionate nickname. Not because anyone is pregnant.”

“I’m not pregnant?” Alec said, asking for clarification.

“You’re not pregnant”, Izzy confirmed. “I promise.”

Alec looked mildly disappointed, but he eventually nodded. “Okay, baby.”

Izzy shook her head, laughing. “No, Alec. You only call Magnus that.”

“Why?”

Izzy watched as her big brother looked between his sister and boyfriend in confusion, mildly annoyed at being corrected. “Because it’s only used on your boyfriend or girlfriend.”

Alec looked sceptical. “That doesn’t sound fair.”

“I know”, Izzy agreed, shaking her head exaggeratedly. “It’s a complete miscarriage of justice, but it’s the rules.”

Alec nodded slowly, digesting the information. “Okay, Iz.”

Izzy pulled away, sniggering under her breath as she moved to sit beside Jace again. Jace watched his older brother with rapt amusement. “Alec, do you remember who we all are?”

Magnus rolled his eyes at the younger Lightwood once again. “Really, Jace?”

“What?” Jace gasped dramatically. “It’s fun!”

Alec leant over the edge of the bed, watching Jace. Magnus was quick to intervene and pull Alec back into the centre despite the boy’s complaints.

“Well I remember how much of a buzz- buzzkill Magnus is”, Alec sighed dejectedly, crossing his arms in defiance.

Magnus ran a hand through Alec’s hair. “It’s for your safety, baby.”

Alec looked up at the nickname. He nodded reluctantly. “Okay, daddy.”

Jace snorted so loudly that Magnus jumped in surprise. Beside him, Isabelle screamed, throwing herself forward as she laughed uncontrollably. Raphael shouted in surprise, covering his face with his hands as Clary and Catarina burst into giggles.

Alec looked between them all in genuine confusion. He settled on Magnus, who was blushing profusely and refusing to meet his eye. “Magnus? What’s funny?”

“Oh, so much-”

“-Nothing!” Magnus interrupted Jace hastily. “Nothing is funny, love.”

“Is the baby ugly?” Alec asked, a smile tugging at his lips. He was evidently still convinced someone was having a child.

Magnus looked away, his cheeks red and the pink stain on his skin only rising higher. Raphael snorted at his expression, pointing to him. “Oh my God, Magnus! Your face!”

Ignoring the catcalls that Izzy and Jace threw their way, Magnus settled next to Alec. His face switched between about 40 shades of pink, before he took a deep breath and turned to his boyfriend. Alec was giggling along, convinced he understood the joke, and welcomed Magnus’s company.

Their laughter continued even as the door swung open. Maia stumbled inside but when she noticed what was happening, she froze in the doorway. Annalise paused behind her, raising her eyebrow as she surveyed the room.

“What the hell is going on?” Maia asked.

Jace reached out to her desperately, swiping his hands into thin air as he laughed. “Oh my God, you just missed the best thing!”

 

*****

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked that slightly lighter chapter! Let me know what you want to see next chapter and if you want to see more drugged!Alec or if you're desperate for some further plot development ;)
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> Tumblr: justmagnusbane


	15. Like Hell You Are, Big Bro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is finally awake and the group are ready to begin piecing together what happened and where to go next. But is there more in store for Alec?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay guys but here we go, chapter 15! Pretty much an entirely Alec-centric chapter, and includes some Malec and some MOOOORE drama... *sighs*
> 
>  
> 
> WARNING: mentions of past assault/violence

Alec recovered slowly over the next few hours and eventually his morphine wore off. When it did, his moaning and complaining swiftly followed.

Magnus chuckled from where he sat beside his boyfriend, carting a hand gently through his hair.

“Don’t laugh”, Alec harrumphed. “It hurts.”

“I don’t doubt it, love”, Magnus teased gently. He tugged at a strand of hair, drawing a pleased groan from Alec as opposed to one of pain. When Alec remembered where they were, he blushed slightly and gently brushed Magnus’s hand off.

“Don’t try and save your dignity, brother”, Jace piped up across the room. “It’s too late for that, we all already know you’re a bottom.”

Alec blushed furiously, and stuttered a poor response. “Wha- Jace, I’m- just shut up.”

Magnus avoided laughing despite his desire to, wary of Alec no doubt smacking him in response. He smirked instead, watching Alec blush from under his lashes.

Frankly, Alexander looked stunning like this; his eyes wide and his lips slightly parted in surprise. His cheeks were pink and the blush was steadily creeping down his chest. In his hospital gown, his arms were bare and the muscles rippled as he nervously gripped with the bed sheets. His skin was bruised and, frankly, horrendously dry, but seeing him awake was enough for none of that to matter. Regardless of the scratches, bruises, cuts, scars and tears, Alexander Gideon Lightwood was still stealing Magnus’s breath away.

“Ignore him”, Magnus said softly, grasping Alec’s hand.

Alec looked at him, his blush persisting, but his smile was genuine.

Magnus turned to watch Isabelle, who had begun to pack away their stuff and prepare for them to leave. After Annalise had returned at Maia’s request, she had confirmed that Alec was in the best condition that they expected him to be so shortly after the accident. She said that as long as Alec continued as he had over the last 12 hours, then he should recover well. 

The unspoken meaning behind her approval of Alec’s condition heavily implied that they needed to leave soon. She had explained that the attending doctor on call for the maternity ward would be on shift later that day and that they wouldn’t have long before she questioned the presence of an adult male on a floor reserved for women and children.  

As such, Izzy had been eager for them to leave before her brother was caught. She had spearheaded their packing and sent Raphael back and forth with Maia to the car Luke had supplied.

She was clearly growing impatient, and threw a pair of jeans, boxers and a shirt in Magnus’s direction. Magnus frowned at them, snorting derivatively.

“Who got these?”

“Luke sent Raphael up with them on the first trip”, Isabelle answered. She saw as Magnus grimaced, looking over the clothes with distaste. “Good thing they’re not for you.”

Magnus cracked a grin, nodding. He turned to Alec, who was watching him was a fond smile.

Magnus stood, nodding his head at Alec to indicate that he move. Alec took a deep breath before forcing himself to shuffle towards the edge of the bed, hissing when the movement jostled his stitches. He sighed, lifting his legs and swinging them over the bed.

“Boxers first”, Magnus said softly. He crouched down beside Alec, lifting his legs slightly.

Alec made a noise, one of panic, and Magnus immediately paused. He looked up at his boyfriend, who was looking around him at the room of people nervously.

Magnus turned to look behind him, and spotted Raphael and Maia enter the room. Around them, Jace and Izzy were finishing packing, and Clary was sitting on the couch, preparing herself to move. Magnus sighed.

“Everyone but Izzy and Jace, out”, he said straightforwardly. “And Clary”, he sighed, watching how she was struggling to move.

Alec smiled in gratitude, nodding his thanks and Raphael and Maia carried the last of their stuff from the room.

Turning back to him, Magnus gently pulled his legs into his lap where he crouched below him. He grabbed the boxers and carefully slipped them up Alec’s bare legs. Alec grunted in pain when Magnus hooked the fabric under him and tugged it around his waist. He smiled gratefully at Magnus when the older man dropped a kiss to his forehead.

“Now, pants”, Magnus said, uncomfortable with the silence in the room.

He looked over, watching as Jace and Izzy helped sit Clary down in the wheelchair they had been provided. Jace took the handles, guiding her to the door while Izzy checked the vicinity. Jace nodded to Magnus before the pair carefully guided Clary down the hall. Cautious of anyone seeing, Izzy was sure to close the door behind them, ensuring that no one could see inside.

Magnus turned back to Alec, grinning slightly at the blush on Alec’s face. “Hi.”

“Hi”, Alec beamed, shuffling slightly until he was more comfortable.

“How are you feeling?”

Alec sighed, reaching forward to play with the untidy strands of Magnus’s hair. Magnus ducked his head nervously, blushing. The act drew a grin from Alec, who let his hand slip down to stroke Magnus’s face. His fingers lingered across Magnus’s lower lip and the pair smiled at each other.

“I’m glad you’re okay”, Alec whispered, as though talking too loudly might ruin the atmosphere around them.

Magnus sighed, closing his eyes and kissing the tip of Alec’s fingers. “Me too, baby. You have no idea how scared I was.”

Alec nodded slowly, watching as Magnus picked up the jeans and hooked them under Alec’s feet and pulled them up his legs. Magnus stood as he pulled the jeans up. He let go of the jeans, letting them sit around Alec’s knees, before quickly leaning forward, holding him under his armpits and tugging him to his feet. Alec sighed thankfully, leaning against Magnus.

Magnus pulled the jeans up carefully, watching how Alec hissed when he drew too close to the stitches. Magnus apologised softly, before reaching for the hospital gown and helping him lift it off. With his hands still in the air, Magnus took the opportunity to quickly slip on Alec’s shirt as carefully as possible. Before Alec could complain again, Magnus reached into the bag on the bed, and deposited painkillers in Alec’s palm.

Alec smiled gratefully, swallowing them dry before lowering himself back onto the bed for Magnus to slip his shoes on.

Just in time, Jace returned. He squeezed in through the door, dragging the wheelchair with him and swinging it so it faced Alec.

Alec smiled, but it was slightly strained.

“Oh, come on”, Jace smirked. “Don’t be embarrassed big bro. You survived a bomb explosion, that’s badass enough to excuse this.”

Alec rolled his eyes but relented, allowing Magnus to help him into the chair before accepting the bag, placing it on his lap and nodding for Jace to lead them away.

Magnus hastily slipped into a coat, lifting the hood to conceal his face. As he followed behind Alec and Jace he was sure not to be seen, but also not to look suspicious. He was wary of the fact that he would raise a few eyebrows if he tried too hard to conceal his face, so quickly took over pushing Alec from Jace to give himself something to do.

Alec reached back, placing his hand against his own shoulder. Magnus sighed, shaking his head fondly before putting his hand on top.

They swiftly approached the van parked outside, although it was more of a large car than a van.

They bid Connor and Annalise their goodbyes and thank yous, who were stood outside under the guise of taking a break, before helping Alec into the car. Magnus paused from where he stood helping Alec stumble towards the car door.

Luke was sitting in the front seat, grasping the wheel and ready to drive. Beside him was Maia, who looked back to watch Alec. In the middle seats, Catarina, Raphael and Izzy were stuffed together. Clary was slouched comfortably in one of the two back seats, tucked away in the trunk of the large car.

Looking at the only available seat, Magnus sighed. “Hang on.”

He quickly climbed into the back of the car, sitting down in the seat before turning back to Jace. He nodded, to which Jace responded by helping Alec step up onto the trunk ledge. Alec wobbled slightly but Magnus quickly grabbed him, before he collapsed into Magnus’ lap with a groan of pain.

Jace waved goodbye to the doctors once more before jumping into the back with them and sitting on the floor between the two chairs. He reached back to slam the trunk door, groaning slightly when he was sitting too far back and it connected with his back. He looked around him in interest.

“Where to now?”

Luke responded from up front, calling back loudly. “Graham has offered up his apartment in Sacramento. We’re heading there.”

Jace snorted. “A cop can afford a second apartment?” he asked, clearly thinking it ludicrous.

“More importantly”, Magnus piped up. “We’re stuck like this for 6 hours?”

Luke chuckled up front. “No. We’re heading to Graham’s place to pick up his car and then there’ll be half in both. That way we can fill the trunk of this car with everything you’ll need.”

“We still have money?” Alec asked, shifting in Magnus’s arms slightly.

Luke nodded, keeping his eyes on the road as he pulled out of the hospital car park. For the sake of those in the back, he continued. “Yes. Clary still has… maybe 1 grand in her bank from the Vegas money.”

Alec nodded thoughtfully, looking back at Magnus. He appeared to have grown slightly tense from the mention of it, probably remembering how Alec had obtained it by offering up his body to a strange man. Alec winced slightly, leaning back into Magnus’s arms and encouraging him to wrap them around his waist.

Magnus grinned softly, burying his head between Alec’s shoulder blades. “It’s okay”, he insisted. “Just… forgot about that.”

“Me too”, Alec sighed.

After a moment of silence, Magnus groaned loudly. Jace jumped in surprise and Alec raised an eyebrow as he looked back at Magnus, amused. Magnus had thrown his head back and was moaning loudly and obnoxiously.

“You okay there, Magnus?”

Magnus cracked open an eye but when he met Alec’s he groaned again and leant backwards. “I just remembered what I said after you told me about Vegas.”

Alec’s eyebrows furrowed. “And that was?”

“About… what I’d, uh…. What I’d- forget it.”

Alec remained confused, watching Magnus closely for a moment before turning back away to face the front. He tried to think back to when he stood in that small hotel bathroom with Catarina, phone sitting on the sink and Magnus’s voice echoing around them.

_“When I get out of here Alexander… I’m seriously going to have to remind you how important you are to me.”_

_“You’re welcome to”, Alec teased, a smile blossoming on his face as he closed his eyes at the heart-warming sound of Magnus laughing._

_“I’ll hold you to that, baby.”_

_“Did you have to?” Alec pleaded, laughing._

_Magnus chuckled. “Of course. It’s hilarious how one word can get to you so easily. We’ll have to make sure that it doesn’t get out that ‘baby’ is your weakness or your enemies could just say that and turn your legs to jelly.”_

_Alec snorted. “It’s only when you say it”, he giggled._

_“And that’s why I don’t care what creepy poker guy did”, Magnus said, as though it were the simplest thing in the world. “I know that no matter who touches you, whether it’s poker guy or Camille, you are mine and I am yours.”_

_“Agreed”, Alec said breathlessly._

Alec bowed his head with a snort. “Oh my God, Magnus”, he laughed.

“I don’t wanna know”, Jace said sharply, waving his hand dismissively.

Izzy giggled, turning back to face her brothers. “I do”, she said cheerfully.

Alec shook his head fondly. “No way, Iz.”

Catarina leant over to Izzy and grinned. “I was there, I’ll tell you later.”

“Cat, not a word!” Alec called out loudly.

“As much as I love the constant reminders that Magnus and Alec have a sex life, can we discuss the topic on hand?” Raphael interrupted. “Now that Alec’s awake, we need to know our game plan besides running and living in Graham’s shabby apartment. Alec, what did you hear on the phone?”

The atmosphere immediately changed, and Alec stiffened. It had seemed that in between the relief that Alec was alive, and the sorrow of losing two loved ones, the actual situation had gone unaddressed. Alec was reminded of how lucky he was that it wasn’t Raphael they lost that night; Simon would have been far too easily distracted to keep them on track, and Ragnor wouldn’t have cared enough. The moment he thought it, Alec sent both men silent apologies.

“I don’t really remember that day perfectly. I just… I remember he had a British accent, but not much else. It was definitely a man though, maybe 20 - maximum 30 - years old?”

“20?” Raphael said disbelievingly.

 

 

“Not old enough to be one of my father’s acquaintances, at least not an old one”, Magnus added.

Alec nodded confidently. “He can’t have been much older than me or Magnus.”

Raphael turned to face Alec and slowly nodded his acquiescence. “Anything else you remember? What did he say exactly?”

 

_“Hello, Alec Lightwood.”,_

_“I like to keep track of my chess pieces, Alec”.”_

Alec frowned, rubbing between his eyes. Raphael and Jace watched him closely, while Magnus tightened his arms around him. “I remember… he knew my name. And- and he said that we were like chess pieces, he saw it as a game.”

 

_“But that’s irrelevant right now. We have more important issues.”_

_“Did you get my package?”_

“It was definitely him who sent the package. He- he warned me…”

_“A present.”_

_“Subsequently a warning.”_

“Did he tell you why?” Jace asked softly, resting his hand against his brother’s arm.

Alec furrowed his eyebrows, thinking.

_“Yes, a warning. Tell Magnus that I want what’s mine.”_

 

_“Now, I must go Alec. Times up.”_

_“Times up.”_

_“Times up.”_

_“Times up.”_

Alec gasped, jolting slightly as he was torn from his train of thought. Those around him watched him with alarm, and Raphael’s eyes were alight with something Alec suspected was pity. Perhaps he suspected what path Alec’s mind had gone down.

“He said ‘Tell Magnus that I want what’s mine’.”

“Did he say what that is?” Izzy piped up, excitedly.

Alec shook his head sadly. “No. Then he just- then it just… happened.”

Izzy nodded in understanding, her eyes glazing over slightly which Alec could only assume was a sign she too was reliving the moment.

“Anyway, besides that I don’t really know any leads we could-”

Alec paused, staring ahead of himself in horror as he remembered a moment from that day that, at the time, had raised Alec’s suspicions but had ultimately gone ignored.

 

_Meliorn nodded. “Make your exit a grand one, my friend.”_

_Alec’s frown deepened. “What are you talking about?”_

_“Nothing”, the cryptic man said slowly. The way he watched Alec implied intrigue but Alec felt a strange sense of dread at the way that Meliorn seemed to observe him with such sad eyes._

_Ignoring the fear bubbling away in his stomach, Alec stepped away from the other man. “I’ll see you soon, Meliorn.”_

_Meliorn didn’t respond, but simply tipped his head respectfully._

Alec frowned. “I-I don’t know if it- It may mean nothing but…”

“Alec”, Jace said softly, encouragingly. “Anything will help right now, considering we currently have jack squat to go on.”

Alec nodded slowly. “It’s just- Meliorn. When I met with him to pay him for the supplies he said something that… it made me a little, I don’t know, uncomfortable. It was kind of suspicious.”

Magnus stroked a lazy hand down Alec’s forearm carefully, reminding him subtly that he was there. “What did he say love?”

“He said something about me making my exit a good one.”

“What?” Clary intervened, confusion riddling her face. “What does that even mean?”

Alec looked at her, eyes wide but vacant. He stared distantly ahead. “I- I think Meliorn knew about the bomb.”

 

 

***

 

It wasn’t long before the group arrived at their destination, half of them breaking off to take over the van that Graham had supplied and the other half remaining in the car. Alec was carefully moved to sit up front with Magnus; Clary and Izzy were sat in the back, both girls fast asleep.

Alec sighed where he sat, sinking backwards into the seat as much was possible. He hissed quietly when moving too much caused pain to shoot up his side.

“You okay?” Magnus asked softly from where he sat at the wheel. He turned down the radio slightly and reached across to rest a hand on Alec’s thigh as he drove.

“Yeah”, Alec groaned quietly. “It’s not that bad.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow, clearly sceptical, but he relented and nodded. “Getting déjà vu?”

Alec frowned, looking over at Magnus in confusion. “Huh?”

“Huh?” Magnus mocked. “I mean, does this not remind you of anything?”

Alec furrowed his eyebrows further, the creases between his brows deepening. He looked between Magnus driving, the console, and himself as he bit his lip, unsure. When it finally hit him, he rolled his eyes fondly.

“Almost feels like we’re back in the RV”, he said wistfully, thinking back to the remarkably simple times they had spent similarly sitting in the RV as they drove through America, nothing but stretches of road on the horizon.

Magnus was quiet and contemplative. “Do you regret it?” he asked softly after a pregnant moment of silence.

Alec looked across at him, his eyes widening when he recognised the look on Magnus’s face. “Mags… don’t-”

“-If you hadn’t met me, none of this would have happened.”

Alec sighed, shaking his head softly. He couldn’t stop the hints of pity that crept into his voice as he spoke. “Mags, none of this is your fault.”

“Would Simon be dead, would _Ragnor_ be dead, if none of you had known me?”

Alec was silent, staring at Magnus in shock. His mouth opened and closed uselessly as he tried to compose some sort of sentence, entirely baffled by Magnus’s words.

“Exactly”, Magnus said, defeated. His eyes remained glued on the road as he closely followed the van Maia was driving.

“No”, Alec said suddenly, sitting up. A look of determination crossed his features and he watched Magnus closely. “No, maybe they wouldn’t be dead. Maybe they would be, who the hell knows. But _this_ ”, he gestured around them, “ _this_ isn’t your fault. You didn’t ask for this.”

“I didn’t”, Magnus agreed reluctantly. “But I brought it right to your doorstep.”

“Stop it”, Alec begged, his voice breaking. His eyes grew wet as he watched Magnus closely, shaking his head in disbelief at his boyfriend. “I can’t hear you talk like this.”

“Maybe it will smack some sense into you and get you to abandon ship.”

This time, Alec grew angry. Ignoring the shooting pain it caused up his side, he sat forward and glared into the side of Magnus’s head. “Stop it. Now. This is all complete BS and maybe it would fly with someone else, but not with me. I don’t give a crap who your father is, or who this guy after us is, or if I get hurt in the crossfire. You could have told me exactly what was going to happen when we first met and quite frankly Magnus, I would have still fallen in love with you. Maybe I would have encouraged Simon to stay away if I had known, but I didn’t and neither did you. You can’t blame yourself for their deaths, Magnus. _You didn’t do this_.”

Magnus glared ahead as though tearing his eyes from the road would leave him vulnerable. He squeezed Alec’s leg tightly. “You almost died”, he said weakly, his voice cracking with emotion. “I almost lost you. You- you could have died because of me and I can’t just forget-”

“-Not because of you”, Alec insisted, interrupting without a care. “I’m not hurt because of you. It’s because of that British prick who seems convinced you have something he wants. Just because he’s delusional, doesn’t mean you have to be too. So, you have to get this into your head Magnus; you are _not_ responsible for this mess.”

Magnus turned to Alec finally, ready to speak, when he saw Alec’s eyes rolling. His voice slowly started to become vacant, becoming only incomplete gasps and broken words as his shoulders began to shake.

“Alec?” Magnus cried urgently, turning to him and grasping his arm to shake it.

Alec began to convulse, his body shaking violently as his eyes rolled. Magnus shouted in alarm, the car swerving as he reached across to Alec desperately. He distantly heard screaming from behind him – probably Izzy and Clary, his mind supplied – but he was too preoccupied with Alec, who was violently seizing beside him.

He shouted for Alec, car alarms and screaming blaring in his ears, but all he could see was Alec. As he seized, his body curled up and his shirt slowly dampened. Magnus watched in horror as Alec’s stitches appeared to be torn open from his violent movements and he began to bleed again.

He was torn from his panicking when he felt hands grab his and slap them onto the wheel. He gasped, rocking backwards and grasping the wheel tightly.

“Pull over!” someone screamed in his ear and he was distantly aware that it was Isabelle’s harsh and panicked voice. He stared ahead, heart racing as he swung the car back around to avoid tumbling off the road.

Magnus wasn’t entirely sure how he managed to pull over, stopping the car just off the side of the road with no damage beside dizziness from the spinning.

Before he could speak, he heard a car door opening and within seconds the passenger door opened and Isabelle was inspecting her brother closely.

Magnus, despite his racing mind and heart, allowed himself to do the same.

The seizure had stopped, for which Magnus was thankful. But Alec was frozen, his shaking reduced but not entirely absent. Magnus hastily unbuckled, reaching across to lift his shirt and check the stitches.

Despite the bleeding, the stitches were intact. The pulling of his skin as he convulsed had irritated them immensely but there was no urgent action to be taken.

Magnus gasped in relief, dropping his head. He watched as Izzy tore a band aid from the bag in the back seat and plastered it across her brothers’ side, tightly packing it so he couldn’t move too much and hurt himself further.

“What the hell happened?” Clary demanded, pulling herself up from the backseat to peek over and check on Alec.

Magnus scrambled to piece together a sentence, still in shock. He ran a hand over Alec’s head – which was exceptionally hot – before he spoke. “I don’t know. We- I guess you could say we were arguing – although not really – and then he just… started shaking.”

“I think he had a seizure”, Izzy sighed. “I have no idea why, maybe the stress of everything along with the injury is getting to him.”

Magnus shook his head adamantly. “What if it’s something serious?”

“It’s probably just the fever”, Izzy insisted, running the back of her hand over her brother’s forehead. “If it was something bad, the doctors would have spotted it back at the hospital.”

“It’s probably just getting too much for him”, Clary agreed, pity evident in her tone.

Magnus sighed as he sat back in his chair. “What if they missed something? You and I both know they didn’t do intensive exams or anything. It could be a brain injury from the bomb.”

“Magnus, they’re doctors”, Izzy said softly, grabbing his hand tightly in hers. “They’re trained to spot these things without tests. They would have told us if they even suspected anything. Right now, we need to focus on getting somewhere safe and getting his fever down.”

 

 

***

 

20 minutes later and the four of them were parked outside of a gas station just off the highway. Izzy was squeezed onto Alec’s seat, gently patting his head with a wet flannel, while Magnus carefully fed him water. Alec had slowly woken from his shaking 10 minutes into their drive, his eyes hollow and his head foggy. Even now, his breathing was shallow and he seemed on the verge of throwing up, but he accepted the water gratefully.

Gently pushing away Magnus’s hand, Alec settled back against his seat with a sigh. “Honestly, Mags; I’m okay.”

“Says the guy who just had a seizure”, Magnus scoffed. “Tell me, are you an epileptic, Alec?”

Alec frowned slightly at Magnus’s tone. “No Magnus, I’m not.”

“Exactly. So you’re not okay, somethings wrong”, Magnus said firmly, ignoring Alec’s further protests.

“It’s just a fever”, he sighed in defeat, closing his eyes out of exhaustion. “Let’s just get going. We’re not far from home so we can go and confront Meliorn and go meet the others before they even realise we’re behind them.”

Almost as though God were looking down and laughing at them, the phone Luke had leant them began to ring in the bag tucked in the back with Clary. She scrambled to pick it up, and immediately answered when she saw it was Graham’s phone – which Luke had - calling.

“Hey, guys” she greeted awkwardly.

Luke’s voice echoed around the car. “Am I on loudspeaker?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Where are you guys?” he said sternly, clearly worried.

Clary looked up at Alec, who groaned quietly before turning his head away. She frowned, but turned back to the phone anyway. “Alec had a seizure, we pulled over at a gas station.”

It was in that moment that it became apparent that they too were on loudspeaker for the shouts of their friends blared down the line.

“What?” Jace and Raphael shouted; Jace surprised, Raphael panicked. They could distantly hear Catarina exclaim, panic evidently overcoming her too.

Clary jumped to continue. “He’s okay! Look, see for yourselves.”

She held the phone up to Alec, who looked between her face and the device entirely unimpressed. “Hi”, he finally settled for, leaning forward slightly to talk into the device’s microphone.

“What the fuck, dude?” Jace demanded down the line. “You had a seizure?”

“Mild convulsions”, Alec deflected, waving his arm nonchalantly despite the fact his brother couldn’t see it.

Jace scoffed. “Is he lying, Iz?” he asked, raising his voice slightly so Izzy was sure to hear.

Izzy sighed. “Hard to tell, brother. He’s probably fine but it _was_ one hell of a seizure.”

“ _A mild con_ _vulsion_ ”, Alec repeated. Izzy blatantly ignored him.

“Look, just keep going. We’re going to force Alec into the back seat with me and I’ll keep an eye on him. We’ll meet you at Graham’s place and then we’ll worry about Meliorn after that- we still need to figure out how to contact him anyway.”

There was a moment of silence before Maia piped up hesitantly. “Sounds good. We’ll stop off at the next station to grab some stuff – medicine, bandages, that sort of thing – and we’ll all meet at Graham’s apartment. Cat could look Alec over when we get there.”

“You say that like I’m an actual doctor”, Cat said quietly and almost entirely inaudibly.

“Best we got”, Jace said, his shrug evident even down the phone. “We’ll see you there then. Hurry up. Oh, and Izzy?”

“Yeah?”

“Keep him honest”, Jace said, his voice carrying a clear warning that he wanted Izzy to look after their brother and ignore any excuses or dismissals he made.

Izzy giggled, nodding. “I will, Jace. See you soon.”

“Be careful, idiot”, Raphael shouted down the phone right before the call cut off.

Alec cracked a grin at that, looking down at Luke’s phone fondly. “Really guys, I’m fine.”

Izzy scoffed, pulling him into a sitting position and undoing his belt buckle to move him into the backseat.

“Like hell you are, big bro.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked that one guys, even if it was a little short. 
> 
> So, what do you think will happen next? And what do you think is going on with Alec?


	16. We Have Somewhere To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad news just seems inevitable when you're getting closer and closer to the truth. 
> 
> Jace, Magnus and Alec finally find a lead, and the beginning of the end begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe it's been 6 months- never thought I'd be that sort of writer, who leaves their readers waiting for months on end. I apologise, and I think I'm finally at the point where I can update semi-regularly again (summer helps!)
> 
> Enjoy. I don't tend to write smut out of embarrassment, but I tried to give you guys a little something in this chapter since it hasn't popped up in a while.
> 
> WARNING: Smut (nothing too explicit), mentions of death/injury

* * *

 

 

 

The next few hours flew by in a blur for Magnus. When they reached the safe house they had agreed upon, Catarina had immediately checked Alec over and, to no one’s surprise, he had been rather reluctant to allow it. Izzy had been frantic, which only further irritated Alec, and before long he had shooed everyone away to flee to a back room by himself.

In response, most people had packed themselves back into the van and head to the nearest department store for supplies. Izzy had stayed behind with Clary and Jace, who, while Catarina was out to gather appropriate medical supplies, was tending to his injured ex.

Magnus observed the room, the tension between his three friends thick. He was well aware of their history, but as far as he was concerned the issues had been managed. From the awkward exchanges between Izzy and Jace, it seemed that either their relations with Clary were no longer black and white, or new problems were brewing.

When it grew too awkward for even Magnus’s wit, he quickly made an excuse to leave.

Approaching the bedroom Alec was locked in sent chills down Magnus’s spine. He wasn’t entirely sure why, for he’d always thought that he and Alec had decent communication – especially after their experience months ago regarding a miscommunication during sex.

“I can hear you, y’know?”

Magnus froze, looking up at the closed door with amusement. A smirk slowly spread across his face as he opened the door, welcoming the image he was greeted with.

Alec was laying sprawled across the double bed in the centre of the room, his face turned towards the ceiling and his legs kicking out a regular beat on the bedside table.

Magnus grinned. “Why, hello beautiful.”

Alec cracked a smile, looking across at Magnus from the corner of his vision. Magnus was shocked for a moment, surprised by the change in Alec’s behaviour from just 20 minutes prior when he was fleeing the room desperately.

The look in Alec’s eyes was a recognisable one; one of lust. His eyelashes fluttered slightly in what Magnus recognised as seduction. He spared a thought of praise for his boyfriend and how successfully and efficiently he managed to set Magnus’s blood alight with arousal.

He stepped toward Alec, his pace slow and almost teasing. Alec’s grin widened, but he turned his head back to the ceiling and feigned ignorance for Magnus’s advances.

“How are you?” Magnus asked softly.

Alec seemed slightly thrown by the sudden reroute in conversation, but he recovered quickly. “I’m okay. A little freaked out that I had… a freakin’ seizure or something, but… generally I’m okay.”

“Well Cat said you seemed okay”, Magnus said kindly as he joined Alec on the bed, perching on the edge of the bed.

Alec hummed in agreement. “Still scary”, he insisted.

Magnus sighed, laying himself down beside Alec. Their sides grazed and Magnus couldn’t help but notice Alec’s faint shiver at the contact.

“You’ll be fine”, Magnus said firmly and without reservation. Alec raised an eyebrow, curious.

“How can you be so sure?”

Magnus’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Because nothing will happen to you as long as I can help it.”

Alec snorted slightly, turning on his side to face Magnus with a small, nervous smile. “I can handle myself.”

“I have no doubt you can”, Magnus laughed softly. “But it’s kind of my job.”

Alec laughed loudly this time, burying his head in the sheets in embarrassment. “Your job?” he mumbled into the fabric.

“Y’know, as your boyfriend, future husband and baby daddy”, Magnus said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Alec’s laughter continued as he turned himself into Magnus’s side, giggling nervously into his shoulder. Magnus beamed as he ran a hand down Alec’s back. Watching him laugh so carefreely after everything that had happened was a godsent.

Magnus’s hand moved slowly and firmly along Alec’s back, pressing and rubbing gently. As he stroked down, he heard Alec’s laughter settle slightly and felt his boyfriend tense.

Magnus grinned shamelessly, letting his hand wander down to the base of Alec’s spine. Alec shuffled closer to his side, pressing against him slightly as he released a sigh. Magnus hummed pleasantly, his hand sliding across Alec’s lower back. He turned himself slightly, and Alec followed obediently.

Alec moaned quietly. “God, I’ve missed you”, he whispered, his face pressed against Magnus’s neck.

Magnus was reminded in that moment that he and Alec had not been intimate, or even closer than a kiss, since before he was arrested. Which, coincidently was their first and only time together to date.

Magnus nodded slowly, his hand creeping over and pressing down on the flesh of Alec’s ass. Alec shifted, throwing his leg over both of Magnus’s and burying his head further into his shoulder.

Chuckling, Magnus dropped his other hand to join the first on Alec’s ass, and began kneading it. Alec tightened his grip on Magnus’s shoulders, breathing heavily into the skin of his boyfriend’s collar.

“You still okay, love?” Magnus couldn’t help but tease.

Alec moaned wantonly. “So good”, he said breathlessly. Magnus didn’t bother asking whether that was supposed to be an answer or a statement. Alec’s breathing picked up, every other breath punctuated by a small moan or whimper.

Before Magnus could tease him further, Alec pulled away. He pushed against Magnus’s shoulders before gently swinging himself over Magnus to straddle him. He groaned momentarily, pressing a gently hand to his side, where a thick bandage was tied.

Alec shook off the twinge of pain and grinned down at Magnus before undulating his body in a grind that left Magnus speechless. Alec chuckled softly, before dropping himself down to Magnus’s face. He let his lips linger on Magnus’s until Magnus groaned in frustration.

“Problem, babe?” Alec asked, seemingly innocently.

Magnus smirked, meeting Alec’s eye in a clear challenge. “What’s with the look, Mags? Last I checked, I’ve got you right where I want you.”

“Alec”, Magnus sighed patronisingly. “You’re so predictable.”

Alec’s brows furrowed in confusion, ready to respond, when Magnus simply raised his hips. Alec gasped, forced upwards by Magnus raising his hips to put his feet on the bed. Magnus stopped for a moment, Alec sitting on his hips unevenly, and watching him with confusion and amusement.

Magnus cocked an eyebrow. His hands slowly crept up Alec’s thighs, squeezing and gripping the flesh. Alec watched his hands closely, chest rising and falling frantically.

With a sly grin, Magnus suddenly tightened his grip on Alec’s waist and rolled his hips purposefully. Instead of the moan he anticipated, Alec hissed.

Magnus immediately stopped, releasing his grip on Alec’s side.

Alec shook his head hastily, “It’s fine, Mags.”

“Are you okay?” Magnus asked softly, voice almost breathless with fear.

Alec grinned. “I’m still pretty hopped up on meds. It aches, but its okay. Honestly, please continue.” Without waiting for permission or approval from Magnus, Alec rolled his hips carefully.

Magnus grinned as began to thrust again, and this time Alec was slightly more stable as he responded with reciprocity. Alec smirked down at him and when Magnus thrust again, Alec made a show of it.

Throwing his head back, exposing his neck and pushing his hips out, Alec moaned so loudly and wantonly that Magnus was almost positive his siblings and Clary heard it clear as day, but he didn’t care. His jaw dropped as he groaned.

Alec looked sinful and if there was one thing Alec knew, it was just how attracted to him his boyfriend was. Alec often used it to his advantage but considering his current position, Magnus was at an unwelcome disadvantage.

“Screw you, Alec”, Magnus hissed.

Alec snorted, looking down at Magnus. “You’re way too easy.”

“Yeah well consider for a moment that your siblings totally just heard you moan”, Magnus smirked.

Alec paled slightly, and the distraction was enough for Magnus continue, laughing hysterically when Alec desperately smacked his hands away 

 

 

…..

 

 

Clary was never homophobic, nor she ever intend to be any sort of -phobic or -ist, but with the increasing volume of Alec moaning and tell-tale squeaking of an underused bed frame, she had to admit she was uncomfortable.

Despite that, she couldn’t and most certainly wouldn’t bring herself to tell them off; besides feeling quiet sympathy for their separation, she was also locked in her seat in disgust and embarrassment. That and burns all over her side that required medication that triggered intense drowsiness.

In contrast however, both Lightwood siblings, with little other than severe bruising, weren’t having it.

Without much preamble, Isabelle had risen from her seat and stormed towards the bedroom. She made a point of making her presence known, noticing how the noise behind the door quietened as she approached.

“I get that you’ve been separated for-fucking-ever but can we tone down the marathon sex porno that’s occurring right now, please? Some of us are sweet innocent children that really don’t deserve to be subjected to intense brotherly moaning and gay fornication when we’re just trying to hold out until food gets brought back. Agreed?”

There was silence for a moment following her rant, before Alec’s distinct voice reached her ears.

“Jesus- Sorry, Iz! We’ll shut up.”

“Well, I will”, Magnus added. “Don’t know about your brother.”

Before Isabelle could protest, she heard the sound of a slap and Magnus groaning. She chuckled fondly. “As I said, totally get the whole tear-each-others-clothes-off desperation but your siblings and a very young, impressionable Clary, are outside.”

“Sorry!” Alec called out even louder, probably attempting to be loud enough for Clary to hear. Whether she did or not, Izzy didn’t know, but she nodded her appreciation.

“Thanks brother.”

Instead of dragging out her poor brother’s humiliation anymore, Izzy quickly retreated. When she re-entered the main room, Clary and Jace were laughing hysterically.

 

…..

 

The next few hours seemed a blur and were even more hectic than those prior. With the return of their friends signalling the arrival of food and supplies, everyone had got busy either eating or patching each other up.

It wasn’t long after everyone had returned home that Alec and Magnus left the bedroom and joined their friends. Ignoring the snickers and teasing they received, Magnus had pulled Alec into his lap and the pair were snuggled together on a one-seat recliner.

Around them, their friends all sat, most nursing a glass of alcohol. The only ones who refrained were Alec and Clary, due to their medication.

There was a sort of amicable silence around them for a while, before Raphael broke it. He silently raised his glass above his head, and with a resounding sigh, said “To Simon and Ragnor.”

He was met with quiet for a moment, but hesitantly everyone followed suit and raised their glasses. Clary settled a little more closely into Izzy’s side, and Alec pressed his face into Magnus’s shoulder.

Raphael looked as though he wanted to say more, but after a moment he sighed again and sat back against the couch. “Too much to say”, he said quietly.

Magnus nodded. “Isn’t there just?”

The silence wasn’t awkward, but the aura that settled around them made Alec tense. He pulled away from Magnus slowly, careful of his side – after such vigorous activity it was starting to hurt. “Do we have a general plan?”

Everyone seemed mildly surprised by the reroute in conversation but took the distraction willingly.

Catarina pinched her nose. “You mentioned Meliorn in the car, that’s where I think we’re best off starting.”

Maia nodded, “Agreed. I can try and locate him, but at a bare minimum I’ll need a laptop.”

Luke perked up at that and stood to his feet with an eager grin. “Hang on a moment”, he said before darting from the room. His footsteps echoed down the hall as he headed for the main bedroom, and after a minute or two he returned with a laptop under his arm. In his hand, he held a small black sock. Coughing uncomfortably, he tossed it into Alec’s lap, who gaped and looked down at his feet to notice for the first time that he had only slipped one sock back on.

Izzy giggled quietly, patting Clary’s head where it lay against her shoulder, affectionately.

Luke handed Maia the laptop and she immediately switched it on. Over the course of the next 10 minutes or so, Maia typed viciously and seemingly endlessly. Everyone was quiet around her.

Eventually she looked back up from the screen. “Know his second name?”

Alec shrugged. “No idea, sorry.”

Maia groaned, “That makes this a lot easier”, she said sarcastically as she turned back to the screen. She continued to furiously tap away.

After a moment, she paused and recoiled in horror. “Go away, what the hell!”

Jace peered around her to look at the screen and snickered at what he saw. “’Single twinks are in your area’, oh Maia you lucky thing!”

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

 

It was 3 days later that Maia had a breakthrough; a small building she had identified, owned by a man name Meliorn Seelion and located a few hours outside of LA. Lucky for them, while they didn’t know his surname, Meliorn wasn’t exactly common.

It was quickly agreed that the fewer people that went, the better; so not too soon after Maia located the warehouse was it agreed that Alec, Jace and Magnus would head over to find Meliorn. As the only person who knew Meliorn, Alec was the obvious choice to lead the search, with Jace acting as his well-trusted backup, and Magnus attending in the hopes that Meliorn might feel inclined to reveal information about his father, who Meliorn had previously claimed to work for.

The group set off within a few hours of Maia identifying the warehouse. The journey itself was long, several gruelling hours of empty roads and tree lines. Since they had left late at night, with the intention to avoid traffic, the streets and roads were quiet and almost eerie in nature.

By the time they arrived back in LA, it was early morning. The 5-hour drive from Sacramento had worn all three men out, but they were hesitant to remain in LA for too long and set off to find Meliorn and leave as soon as possible.

They left their car in a public car park and decided to walk the last half a mile to the warehouse, lest they warn Meliorn of their impending visit. Alec, although in pain, was able to keep a steady pace with his brother and boyfriend.

It was when they were walking down a darkened street, littered with shops, that Alec spotted it.

Tucked at the end of the street was a small, almost quant little shop with a window decorated in countless machines and devices. Sitting tucked on a shelf, were several televisions all continuously playing the news on a loop. When Alec saw his own face, he paused in his walking and stood to watch.

Jace and Magnus immediately noticed, turning back to him in confusion.

“You okay, buddy?” Jace asked, hesitantly walking towards where his brother gaped at a television screen. Magnus followed silently.

Alec felt both men come to stand beside him, all of them watching in fascination.

“These individuals are thought to be armed and dangerous, and police authorities are encouraging citizens to stay away and not to approach the group. They have also released an official statement on the matter, delivered earlier this evening outside of the District Attorney’s Office by DA Will Herondale.”

The footage cut to a pre-recorded video from what must have been midday the day before. A tall, but slim white man stood in front of a podium, and on it sat a microphone that he confidently spoke into.

“Earlier this week, an explosion in downtown LA led to the issue of multiple – in total 8 – arrest warrants for the below individuals; Magnus Bane, Catarina Loss, Ragnor Fell, Raphael Santiago, Alec Lightwood, Simon Lewis, Isabelle Lightwood and Jace Wayland. These individuals have yet to be found and are believed to have escaped the explosion. What was originally thought by police to be the result of inter-gang violence, has since, due to the arrival of new evidence, thought to be a deliberate act on the part of suspected masterminds Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood. The other individuals involved are thought to be enablers, and as a result the previous arrest warrants remain in full effect and the public are urged to not approach these dangerous individuals. Anyone seen assisting these criminals will be apprehended and arrested for obstruction of justice. The DA’s office has therefore increased the charges against the aforementioned criminals to first degree murder, property damage and terrorism.”

The screen returned once more the female news anchor, who looked grim. “We will continue to update you as the story develops.”

As the news switched to another less pressing story, Jace, Alec and Magnus all remained frozen.

“Terrorism?” Jace choked, his voice hoarse.

Magnus didn’t look at him but nodded reluctantly. “They think Alec and I are the masterminds behind the unlawful demolition of a building. We’re terrorists”, he spoke like he himself couldn’t believe it. “We’re actually considered terrorists.”

Jace winced, turning away from them and shaking his head as he began to pace. “Why you and Alec?"

“Me because I’m the suspected murderer of Camille Belcourt, and Alec presumably because he got me out and is the last person to be seen with me”, Magnus guessed. Jace nodded slowly.

“And how have they compiled that list of ‘enablers’, huh? Just picked names out of a hat?” Jace demanded angrily. Alec remained silent.

“I have no idea”, Magnus relented. “Cat is obvious because she lives with me, but maybe the rest of you were simply last seen there, or since you’ve gone missing they’ve assumed you’re running. Jace, I really have no idea” Magnus repeated forlornly, holding his head in his hands.

Jace finally turned to his brother, his anger dissipating slightly when he saw Alec’s borderline catatonic state. “Brother?”

Alec swallowed deeply. “Why did they say first degree murder if there’s still arrest warrants for Simon and Ragnor?”

Magnus and Jace both paused, looked back at Alec in surprise; neither of them had registered the charge.

Magnus frowned. “I have no idea. There’s no way they could have found Simon, because Raphael took him. And they must not have found Ragnor’s body yet, I don’t know.”

“But that’s my point”, Alec said, his voice growing frantic. “If they don’t know about Simon or Ragnor then who are we being charged with the murder of?” He finally spun to face Magnus, his eyes as wide as saucers.

Magnus seemed lost for words, despite his desperation to give Alec the answer he so clearly and desperately wanted. “I-I don’t know, baby.”

Jace stood between them, hesitant to speak. He quietly pulled out the phone Luke had supplied them, and quietly typed in ‘LA explosion Magnus Alec’. Immediately over 30 pages of results blossomed, and Jace looked between the headlines frantically. He quickly scrolled back up, adding the word ‘dead’ to his jumbled search. There were slightly fewer results, but only by a page or two.

Jace selected the first page that was suggested, and while he waited for it to load he glanced back up at his brother. Now Magnus and Alec stood in an embrace, with Magnus cradling the eldest Lightwood like he were fragile and prone to damage. Alec was silent and he stared ahead unblinking, but his relaxed shoulders and tight grip on Magnus’ waist reassured Jace that he was at least partially aware of his surroundings.

Looking back down to the phone, Jace paused and choked around the lump that formed in his throat. He must have made some sort of noise, perhaps a whimper, because Alec and Magnus turned to him quickly.

“Jace?” Alec asked softly, sounding so much like a wounded puppy that Jace simply didn’t have the heart to meet his eyes.

“Oh my God”, Jace couldn’t refrain from saying, staring down at the headline and the small overview of the story that was listed below in shock.

Magnus stepped forward almost menacingly, as though personally offended that Jace had ignored Alec. “What is it?”

Jace finally looked up. “I looked it up”, he choked out. His eyes were wide and, much to Alec’s surprise and dread, were moist.

“Looked what up?” Magnus asked carefully.

“He looked up the murder charges”, Alec said confidently. “Didn’t you?”

Jace nodded slowly. “It- I didn’t-”, he sucked in a breath. Looking down at the phone, he read aloud the headline. “’14 dead and 32 injured in the Bane Bombing.’”

Alec’s jaw dropped and gasped out a breath. “Wh-what?”

Jace continued to read. “’The explosion that shocked downtown LA last night has resulted in the deaths of 14 apartment residents. 32 are heavily injured, with a reported 16 in intensive care. The explosion, which occurred on the 5th floor of the 8 floor apartment building, believed to have originated from the apartment of Magnus Bane and Catarina Loss, caused catastrophic damage to the all above floors, with substantial impact on the below 3rd and 4th floors. A reported 58 people lived within the building. With Bane and Loss missing, the count of those unharmed is thought to be only 10.”

Magnus and Alec stared at Jace in complete and utter shock. After a moment, Alec stumbled, with Magnus only just managing to catch him. Completely unblinking, Alec collapsed into Magnus’s hold.

“But they- the explosion- it wasn’t even that bad”, Magnus cried, grasping onto Alec tightly. “It- I mean parts of the ceiling were damaged but we saw the building. It was intact, there was no further damage!”

Jace shrugged, staring down at his phone, unseeing. “Magnus”, he implored. “The entire back wall was missing. I remember waking up around shells; someone shot at us. God knows how many people were hurt because of that, and the structural damage all of it would have done to the building…. It doesn’t surprise me.”

Magnus gaped at him. “Doesn’t surprise you?!” he demanded, stepping forward. He kept his arms around Alec, aware of his boyfriend’s unsteady feet. “How can you say that?! 14 people are dead! Ragnor and Simon are dead! But this doesn’t _surprise_ you?”

Jace stepped back slightly but raised his hands almost in warning. “Don’t attack _me_ , Magnus. I am _so_ not your enemy in this.”

Magnus glared, but Jace’s words caused him to pause in his steps and take a deep breath. “14 people” he said breathlessly. “14 people, probably some of them children, Jace. 14.”

Jace nodded solemnly, “I know Magnus, trust me I know.”

There was a silence so thick amongst them that the world around them blurred into splashes of colour and a distant cacophony of indistinct and meaningless noise. In the presence of their hectic minds, it almost echoed in its intensity, the quiet around them so loud yet so heartbreakingly empty.

Surprisingly it was Alec to speak first. He took a deep and clearly unsteady breath before pulling himself away from Magnus. Emotionless, he continued to walk down the street.

“We have somewhere to be.”

 

 

….

 

 

The warehouse was intimidating in its grandeur and spanned easily 100 square meters. Its grey walls were damaged in places, the steel framework peeking through. Despite this, it was almost impossible to see inside until the three men were practically at the doorstep.

The entered slowly, aware of the limited light that the earlier hours of the morning provided them. When they encountered the padlocked entrance, Jace removed a set of bolt cutters from the backpack he carried. He made a quick job of breaking open the lock, leading the way inside with his phone light shining. Alec and Magnus held torches and stalked behind Jace as closely as possible.

The warehouse was essentially empty, save for the distant shadow of high stacked shelves. Alec reached around blindly for a light switch and after a moment or two, felt a switch beneath his fingers. The light flickered to life above them, illuminating the room.

It was busier than it first looked, with every wall lined with high, wide shelves all stacked full of boxes, books and unidentifiable objects. The stark empty floor and middle of the room was occupied only by a single foldaway table.

Jace frowned, turning off his phone torch and treading carefully towards the small table. Alec quickly caught up, heading towards the table with renewed vigour. As they grew closer, it became clear that there were multiple items on the small plastic table. Sitting up was a small card. The matching envelope was laid beside it, with one word across the front.

Alec picked up the envelope, staring down at his name plastered across the front in a bold black pen. He remained silent, picking up the matching card and reading it.

The outside of the card was a simple ‘Happy Birthday’ message, with a thick black line through ‘birth’ and a rushed ‘death’ written above in the same black pen. Alec frowned.

“Happy ‘deathday’?”

Alec welcomed Magnus’s presence beside him by squeezing his arm reassuringly. “No idea”, he scoffed quietly as he opened the card. Inside was a short message.

_Alec Lightwood,_

_I can only assume that you will be looking to find me soon. If that is the case, do so whenever you please._

_~ Meliorn_

_A_ lec gently set the card back down, looking down at the other items on the table. Beside the card sat a compact black flip phone. On the other side of the table rested a small black card, a name carved across the front. Alec didn’t recognise it, so instead chose to pick up the phone.

Checking the device quickly proved that only one number was set into the phone, with the simply contact name ‘M’. Alec didn’t need a full name to know who would pick up the phone if he called.

He stepped back slightly. “I’m calling”, he said without debate. Jace and Magnus made no move to stop him.

Alec quickly dialled the number and raised the phone to his ear to listen. He ignored the memories that swam in his vision, of the last time he was on the phone in equally unknown and sinister circumstances.

After a moment or two, the ringing stopped and a familiar voice could be heard.

“Alec Lightwood”, Meliorn greeted. “How are you?”

Alec grit his teeth, turning away from his brother and boyfriend to pace around the empty warehouse. “Where the hell are you?”

“Why would I tell you, Alec?” Meliorn asked smugly. The amusement was clear in his voice. “What are you after this time, some first-aid kits?”

“Is this funny to you?” Alec growled. “My friends are dead, my family injured. This is no joke. You knew something, said something the last time we met. I know you knew about the bomb.”

Meliorn was silent for a moment before he hummed thoughtfully. “Interesting conclusion”, he admitted. “I was aware of the explosion and am somewhat pleased that you made it out alive. Now you have more time to prepare that good exit, yes?”

“I knew it”, Alec gasped. “Why didn’t you warn us? You worked with us!”

Meliorn sounded almost remorseful. “I refuse to get in the way of that man’s plans, Alec Lightwood, least of all for you.”

“What man? The man that called me?”

Meliorn made a questioning noise. “The man that called you? He called you? I assume it was to taunt you, or to perhaps hear you explode with his own ears.”

Alec looked over to his brother and Magnus, who were investigating the shelves around them. Magnus watched Alec out of the corner of his eye, and raised an eyebrow when Alec looked at him with wide eyes.

“Who is he, Meliorn?”

Meliorn sighed. “Alec Lightwood”, he said almost affectionately. “I can tell you many things, but we are surely being overheard, and telling you such a name would only get me killed. Instead, look to the objects I left for you to construct your story.”

“Jesus”, Alec groaned, rubbing a hand down his face “Why are you so fucking cryptic?”

“It’s part of my charm.”

“I’m sure”, Alec replied sarcastically. “The name on that card, who is it? Or will you not tell me that either?”

“I will tell you this, Alec; that name will lead you to a home, and within that home lies so many of the answers you seek.”

Alec lent against the table, sighing. He placed the phone down between his hands, Meliorn’s voice echoing around them through loudspeaker. Jace and Magnus both turned to listen.

“Or it’ll be a trap, maybe another bomb?” Alec scoffed.

“No”, Meliorn laughed. “I am not one for explosives. I was simply refusing to get involved in another man’s game. He is the plyer, you are his chess pieces, and I am neither a player nor a true observer.”

Alec groaned impatiently, once again bored with Meliorn’s typical riddles. “Just tell me this; can we trust you?”

Meliorn was silent for a moment, his hesitance to answer making Alec tense.

“No.”

Alec sighed, dropping his head. He picked up the black card with the name of it, and stroked along its finish. “I guess thanks for the honesty.”

“Do look after your fragile self, Alec Lightwood”, Meliorn said dismissively as he clearly prepared to end the call.

“No”, Alec said firmly, halting Meliorn in his tracks. Magnus raised an eyebrow, watching Alec closely.

“No”, Alec repeated. “I let you walk away after saying something cryptic last time and it got some of my best friends killed. So, spit it out; what’s that supposed to mean? Look after myself?”

Magnus and Jace watched Alec closely, stoic and totally unreadable.

“I know not of what you speak, Alec.”

“Cut the bullshit”, Alec spat angrily, clenching the card in his palm. “You always know something.”

Meliorn hummed thoughtfully, and Alec was sure that if he was there he would be surveying Alec as though a predator sizing him up, contemplating how much effort would be needed to take him down. Perhaps it would have been intimidating, but over the phone it only gave Alec more fuel for his impatience.

“I don’t know the ‘how’ or the ‘why’, but I have become enlightened regarding the ‘what’. I’ve been informed you had a seizure, Alec.”

Alec’s frown deepened. “How the hell do you know that?”

“I have eyes, and plentiful ears. All I will say, Alec Lightwood, is take stock. Take stock of your symptoms… for I suspect foul play”, Meliorn said slowly.

Magnus stepped forward, his blood boiling at what Meliorn was implying; someone was hurting Alec, doing this to him on purpose. “Tell us what you know.”

“I told you”, Meliorn said, sounding so exasperated that Alec was sure he must be rolling his eyes. “I don’t know anything, I am simply speculating. But I would suspect that those doctors you utilised for free might not have sprung from nowhere. I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“You think the man after Magnus hired them? But then why would they save me?” Alec enquired, his spine rigid with disbelief and a hint of fear.

Meliorn appeared impatient. “I wouldn’t know, I don’t make it a habit of talking to the man. And also”, he added, as though just remembering something, “Tell Magnus that his father was terrified of him, and that he should be too.”

Without further ado, Meliorn ended the call and the tone of his dismissal surrounded them in the large warehouse. Alec quickly shut off the device before looking up at Magnus.

Magnus frowned. “My father?”

Alec shrugged. “He said before that he worked with your father, but nothing much else. Clearly your father knew creepy British guy.”

“So what next?” Jace asked as he joined the pair.

“Next we find the house of”, Alec looked down at the card in his hand, “Margaret Abigail Myers.”

Magnus nodded firmly. “Let’s go call Maia then.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment down below to let me know what you think, and so that I know that there are still people reading the updates lol. If not, I'll leave the story and begin another :)
> 
> Thank you for your continued support and willingness to read the story. I'll be updating again soon, but for updates on the process and to know if anything changes/when I'm posting, follow my tumblr @justmagnusbane


	17. That's The Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec, Magnus and Jace finally discover who is behind everything, and flashbacks finally begin to fill in the blanks of how everything began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not been a crazy wait but a few days longer than I wanted- depression is super fun when it robs you of all energy and motivation.   
> Regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> WARNING: graphic details of death/death body, mentions of past violence and death

_25 years ago_

 

“That’s it?”, she asked as she looked down at the child cradled in her arms. Her eyes were wide and alert as she scanned the baby, desperately attempting to spot if any harm had come to her child.

“That’s it”, the blond opposite her said slowly, nodding. “But it’s a promise, it doesn’t need to be noticeable.”

She nodded slowly, carefully stepping towards her nervous husband. “And when will you call on us?”

He laughed darkly, almost manically. “I’m not going to call on you”, he said as though it were obvious. “But it will be a while before we call on your son, don’t fret. My son knows patience.”

Her husband frowned. “Why wait so long? I don’t- I don’t understand why this promise is not directly to you.”

The blond man huffed a tired breath. “As parents do we not do what is best for our children?” He looked down at the young boy in the woman’s arms and raised an eyebrow. “Well, most of us do anyway.”

The mother glared heavily, turning her body so her child was not in the man’s gaze as though it would change anything. It wouldn’t; she had just signed her child’s life away.

“My son will surely need favours owed, I’m just equipping him for when I’m gone.”

The mother’s frown deepened. “You’ll burn for this, using an innocent child like a toy for your own amusement.”

The man chuckled once more, as though he found his own emotional detachment so amusing. “It’s not for my amusement dear, but my son’s. And you can hardly talk, having just sold your child’s life away like a worthless pawn. And all to save yourself.”

The woman looked down in shame, clutching her husband’s arm tightly. “May we please leave now?”

“Of course,”, her rival said cheerfully. “I shall see you again, my dear. Until then.”

“Goodbye”, she said hoarsely before turning and hastily fleeing the room, her child tightly bound in her arms.

Her husband paused in the doorway, hesitant. He frowned down at his feet for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking up at the blond man.

“Thank you, Valentine”, he said reluctantly.

 

…..

 

 

_6 years ago_

Asmodeus looked around him carefully as he attempted to piece together the puzzle before his eyes. The house around them was barren, empty and old. It’s whitewashed walls and stagnant smell reeked of age and death. The carpets were thick with dirt, and every inch of the home had a sheet of dust over it. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out why they were here.

“Where the hell are we?” Hodge growled under his breath, unimpressed by their surroundings.

Asmodeus shrugged reluctantly. “I have no idea”, he said warily as he surveyed the small hallway in front of him. “I’ll take upstairs, I guess.”

Hodge nodded. “If that little bastard had the balls to do this himself we wouldn’t be in this shithole right now”, he hissed. Instead of waiting for a response, he nodded to a man behind him and gestured for him to follow before he set on a path down the hall.

Asmodeus frowned, glancing up the stairs before reluctantly heading up them. Each step creaked painfully as he applied pressure to them and bent under his foot as though they would cave under the weight of him any second. He was quick to reach the second floor.

He paused, looking at the pictures that lined the walls on the hall. One drew his attention.

In it, Valentine stood proudly with his head held high and his arm wrapped almost disturbingly tightly around the shoulders of a small, lean woman. She was only tiny, her small shoulders so easily cupped under his arm. Her smile was forced and her arms tight and protective around the small bundle of cloth in her hold. Looking around him, it became clear to Asmodeus whose home they were in.

He stepped along, looking at yet another picture. This showed a small blond child, his arms wrapped around his mother’s neck and his cheek pressed against hers. The young boy’s grin was wide and his eyes more vibrant that Asmodeus had ever seen them.

“Son of a bitch”, Asmodeus growled under his breath.

“What?”

Asmodeus spun to face his companion. “Oh, nothing. Just that we’re in that bastard’s dead mother’s house. What are we, cleaning out her junk?”

Meliorn rolled his eyes gently. “Doesn’t surprise me that we are expected to do the devil’s labour. You know he called her Lilith, she was such a scare?”

“Valentine called his wife ‘Lilith’?” Asmodeus snorted. “How romantic”, he said as he released a deep sigh. “So, what exactly are we expected to do?”

“Get the notes and go”, Meliorn said firmly as he stepped past Asmodeus and headed into the nearest bedroom.

Asmodeus nodded reluctantly, heading into the bedroom beside the one Meliorn had disappeared into. He immediately recognised it as the master bedroom, and no doubt ‘Lilith’s’ room. He pointedly ignored the body on the bed.

Stepping around the bed frame, he searched the room for the small black filing box they had been asked to retrieve. Casting his eye to the body that laid sprawled across the satin sheets, Asmodeus grimaced.

“Heaven forbid the boy search this trash heap himself”, he called out to Meliorn.

Meliorn chuckled from the room beside his. “Not much longer now, my friend”, he said, his voice laced with amusement.

Asmodeus grinned. “Let’s hope”, he said under his breath.

Turning back to the task at hand, Asmodeus searched the room. After what must have been at least 15 minutes, he sat on the edge of the bed and sighed deeply. “Found anything?” he called once more.

“Nothing as of yet”, Meliorn replied immediately, a grunt following his statement as he presumably moved something from his path.

Asmodeus sucked on his lip in boredom as his eyes ran across the room once more. When his eyes landed on the woman’s form prone on the bed, he paused.  “Be glad you escaped your child before he got any worse”, he teased hatefully. He looked down at the face of ‘Lilith’ with a sneer, but also a hint of pity.

His eyes ran over her body with little interest. That was until he spotted the ring that rested on her left hand. He froze for a moment before frantically grabbing the lifeless hand and inspecting the piece.

To his delight, it was exactly what he thought it was. “Meliorn!” he called excitedly as he forcefully pulled the ring from ‘Lilith’s’ frozen finger. Her finger made an awful cracking noise, but Asmodeus pointedly ignored it.

Meliorn didn’t take long to appear in the doorway of the room, eyebrow raised. He looked at the body Asmodeus sat beside and frowned, although he appeared intrigued. “I did not suspect her to still be here?”

Asmodeus shrugged, uninterested. “Me neither but it is not of importance. Look what I found”, and with flourish and excitement he held up the ring.

Meliorn stared for a moment before his jaw dropped. “My friend”, he whistled, impressed. “I do believe you have found our way out.”

“Haven’t I just?” Asmodeus laughed merrily.

When the sound of footfall hit them as Hodge came up the stairs, Asmodeus hastily stuff the ring into his pocket.

“Hodge”, he greeted warmly.

Hodge grimaced at the state of the room, pausing to stare in shock and disgust at the body on the bed. “Let’s get out of this shithole”, he spat distastefully. “We found the damn box.”

“Lovely”, Meliorn said pointedly, turning to face Hodge. “Then let us leave with haste, yes?”

Hodge nodded slowly, struggling to pull his eyes from the dead body. “Yes”, he finally said as he turned to leave.

Meliorn and Asmodeus followed closely behind, both exchanging a look of borderline giddiness.

 

 

 

…..

 

 

 

_Present Day_

“Do you think they’ve seen it?” Izzy asked hesitantly, looking down at the article on Maia’s phone.

Clary grimaced, rubbing a reassuring arm down Izzy’s side. “Let’s hope not”, she sighed. “I can’t imagine how Alec and Magnus would feel seeing that. I can’t believe 14 people are dead.”

Catarina, from where she sat not far from where the pair sat, shrugged. “I guess in our haste and panic we didn’t even think about the damage that bomb had to people other than ourselves.”

Izzy looked down at her palms shamefully, as though if she looked hard enough the figurative blood on them might materialise, so she might wash it off. To her disappointment it never showed.

Instead she looked around her at the people she was very close to calling family. Ever since Alec, Jace and her had left their parent’s house in the wake of their rejection of Alec, Izzy had never really had anyone outside of Alec and Jace to consider family. When Raphael and Simon had come along, they had undoubtably grown to be like brothers to her. Clary was special and had never really felt like a sister to Isabelle- something she was thankful for now considering their relationship. Ragnor and Catarina had been quickly becoming additional members to her growing family, but after the loss of Simon and Ragnor she felt almost numb to it. The definition of family was now so fragile and challenging to her that she wasn’t sure what it even meant anymore.

Regardless, looking at Clary, Raphael, Maia and Catarina she felt within her a very familiar sense of _home._ Luke had had to return to work.

They were currently all sitting around, either relaxing on the part of Izzy and Clary, or investigating what little leads they had. Maia was searching for more links with Meliorn Seelion and Magnus Bane, while Raphael and Catarina were scrawling on pages and organising seemingly random sheets and snippets of information, desperate to create some sort of link.

Izzy buried her head in Clary’s shoulder, humming pleasantly when Clary kissed her forehead. She was torn from her comfort moments later by the ringing of Maia’s phone.

Maia quickly pulled herself away from her laptop and looked down at the small device on the coffee table beside her. “It’s them”, she said.

Izzy breathed a sigh of relief that her brother was still alive, before dread set in; why would he be calling if not with bad news?

Maia answered the call, aware of 4 sets of eyes watching her. “Hey Alec, what did you find?”

There was silence for a moment. “He wasn’t there? Wh-…. What did he say?... Okay, okay- what’s the name?” She began to type something out quickly, nodding her head as she listened to Alec. “Sure thing. Go stay in a hotel or something, I’ll give you a call when I find an address.”

Before she could end the call, Izzy quickly spoke up. “Can I speak to him?”

Maia looked over, raising an eyebrow for a moment before she relented and tossed the phone across to Izzy. Clary ducked for Izzy to catch it, who immediately put it to her ear.

“Hey big bro”, she greeted softly.

Alec chuckled somewhat lifelessly on the other line. “Hermana, what’s up?”

Izzy couldn’t stop the frown that blossomed on her face. “Are you okay? You sound upset?”

“What? How do I?”

Izzy rolled her eyes. “I’m your little sister, I know when you’re upset. Now spill.”

Alec sighed, obviously having accepted that his sister was unlikely to back down. “It’s nothing Isabelle, really.”

“Do shut up”, she hissed under her breath. “Just spill. Are you and Magnus okay?”

Alec scoffed. “Yeah, Iz. We’re totally fine. Think you heard how fine we are earlier today.”

Izzy gaped, momentarily shocked, before she burst into laughter. “Wow big bro, when did you grow a sense of humour?”

“Oh, I need it in times like this”, he admitted reluctantly.

Izzy turned her head away from Clary as though it would grant them more privacy in their conversation. “Talk to me”, she said solemnly, all traces of amusement missing from her voice. “Please.”

“It’s just-” Alec paused. He seemed lost for words. “It’s just… this doesn’t seem to end, does it? There’s always something around the corner.”

“Like what?”

“Like the fact that we managed to get 14 people killed, and 32 seriously injured.”

Izzy winced, ducking her head to rest her hand against her forehead. “We were hoping you wouldn’t see that.”

She could distantly hear Alec tinkering around with something and for a moment he pulled away from the phone to answer someone. There was the distinct sound of a car starting up and Alec’s heavy breathing as he lifted himself into the car and buckled in.

“Sorry”, he said offhandedly. Izzy waved her hand in dismissal despite the fact he couldn’t see her. “We’re just heading to a hotel, Jace found one not too far away that’s of a questionable nature. We can’t really head anywhere in the city in case we get noticed.”

He sounded remorseful about it and Izzy couldn’t help but understand his pain. “Yeah, we saw about the charges. Only ones in the clear are Clary and Maia.”

Alec hummed, “Yeah. Might come in handy again though, I suppose.”

“Did you hear what they’re calling the explosion though?” Izzy scoffed. She received looks of betrayal from those around her as her friends assumed she was voluntarily telling Alec about the article they had hoped he wouldn’t see. She simply shook her head.

Alec sounded both amused and personally offended. “Yeah, we did. The Bane Bombings. Which is ludacris since they’re painting me as one of the masterminds, and he was in jail leading up to it. If that’s their story, then it hardly makes sense to blame just Magnus.”

Izzy snorted quietly. “Just you wait. Not too long until they make this into a weird crime of passion. You two a perverted gay couple seeking some sort of destruction to satisfy your bastardly kinks.”

Alec choked on his saliva, bursting into laughter. “Jesus, Iz!”

“They’re not our kinks”, she heard Magnus proudly call across to the phone.

Izzy laughed. “How can he hear me?”

“You’re on speaker”, Alec said somewhat breathlessly. “Jace is here too.”

“He wishes he wasn’t”, Jace said dispassionately from what Izzy could only assume was the backseat.

“So, is this the part where I ask what your kinks are?” Izzy teased, thankful for the slightly lighter mood.

Alec made a sound of displeasure, “No!” but Magnus was already off on a tangent.

“Oh, let me tell you Isabelle, your brother is one kinky bastard! He’s all into role play, even a little daddy kink. Totally into the whole bondage-BDSM thing and he wouldn’t want me to tell you this but he’s very passionately into the foot fetish thing”, he said confidently, completely ignoring Alec and Jace’s endless protests.

Izzy laughed uncontrollably, aware Magnus was only joking but enjoying her brother’s embarrassment regardless. “Oh that was a little TMI Magnus, I’m gonna be honest. I did not need to know about my brother’s foot fetish”, she said loudly and pointedly to those around her.

While her friends looked at her in confusion, Magnus and Jace laughed down the phone and Alec shouted in protest.

“I do not have a foot fetish, Jesus! Don’t tell them that!”

Izzy sighed, shaking her head affectionately. “I’ll let you guys get back to driving. But update me big brother, and you know I’m just a phone call away if you want to talk.”

There was shuffling quickly before Alec’s voice sounded, this time a lot closer to her ear. “I know Iz, and I love you for it. We’ll speak to you soon. I love you.”

Izzy smiled softly. “Te amo hermano. And tell Magnus and Jace the same.”

Alec giggled. “I will do. Bye.”

Izzy slowly lowered the phone, placing it back on the coffee table in the centre of the room. Raphael and Clary watched her closely, while Maia and Catarina worked quietly.

“Is he okay?” Raphael asked. He seemed calm, but somehow also desperate for an answer.

Izzy nodded reassuringly, “He’s okay. Just bummed out by the news, but he’ll survive.”

Raphael nodded thankfully before turning back to help Catarina now that his mind was a little clearer.

With Izzy now off of the phone, Catarina turned to Maia. “So, what did they say about Meliorn? You said he _wasn’t_ there?”

Maia shrugged. “He wasn’t, no idea why. But Alec called him, and he left behind a little card with some woman’s name on it. Meliorn claims that the answers they’re after are at the house of this woman, whoever she is. It’s probably a trap, but it’s the only ‘lead’ we’ve had in a while.”

Raphael straightened up. “Then we should go and join them; there’s safety in numbers.”

Maia sighed but shook her head. “Why do you think the royal family never travel together, Raphael? Because that way if something happens, they don’t all die.”

Izzy recoiled like she’d been slapped. “What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“It means that if this is a trap, then there’s more safety in some of us not entering it. Understood?”

Izzy looked ready to protest but Clary grabbed her hand in a silent attempt to calm her. Izzy sighed, settling back into the chair and closing her eyes. She willed herself to think of anything other than her brothers being hurt. Instead she thought back to their time on the beach, when everyone was happy and teasing each other, and Alec was unharmed and beginning a relationship with Magnus. She immediately switched thoughts when she reminded herself that that day was not exactly a fun one for Jace, who had broken up with Clary that day. That was something she didn’t want to touch with a foot-long pole.

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

When they arrived at the hotel Alec immediately threw himself face first onto the bed. His mood had certainly improved since he had spoken to his sister, but he was too tired for niceties and useless chit-chat.

Magnus watched him with a fond smile, before turning to Jace. “You sure you’re okay with the couch?”

Jace shrugged. “Slept in worse. Alec’s a kicker and we used to share a bed all the time. This’ll be like sleeping on clouds.”

Alec grumbled something into the pillows below him, to which Jace just snorted.

“I just feel bad for you”, he teased, elbowing Magnus.

Magnus grinned. “Me too, he’s a snorer.”

“Oh, isn’t he?” Jace said, laughing softly.

Alec grumbled again but when whatever he said clearly came out indistinguishable he turned to lay on his back. “I don’t snore”, he protested. “I mumble very quietly.”

“Mumbles that sound suspiciously like snores”, Magnus agreed, nudging Alec’s leg with his own. Alec rolled his eyes but smiled at Magnus from beneath his lashes. Magnus, in a moment of weakness, leant down to peck Alec’s distractingly plump lips. Alec’s smile only widened.

“No sex with me in the room”, Jace said firmly, pulling a clean shirt out of his bag.

Alec rolled his eyes again. “Shut up Jace.”

“I’m just saying”, Jace said as he whipped his shirt off. “I don’t wanna have to hear that for a second time in 24 hours.”

Alec rolled away to sit up on the other side of the bed, pulling his own bag up beside him to rummage through it. “Why is everyone always discussing my sex life?”

“Because we have like 10 years to catch up on you billion-year-old virgin”, Jace snickered as he changed into pyjamas and settled on the couch. Magnus quickly tossed him a blanket from the bed.

Alec didn’t say anything, instead slipping silently into his sleep pants and crawling under the sheets. “Someone set an alarm”, he said offhandedly as he buried his face in the pillow.

Magnus sighed, pulling out his phone and setting one. “It’s set for 11am, which gives us a good 5 hours.”

Alec hummed in agreement and Jace gave him a thumbs up.

“Let’s hope this bitches house isn’t in a public place, or we may have to wait until evening”, Jace said as he got comfortable.

Magnus nodded from where he sat on the edge of the bed, wiping at his face with a makeup wipe. “Agreed”, he said as he gently scrubbed at the eyeliner that had been on his eyes for days. He grimaced when he saw the crusty remains. Considering he had applied it in the prison, it had lasted pretty well.

“I need a shower tomorrow”, he said sadly.

“Me too”, Jace snorted as he turned over and tucked the blanket around his chin. “Alec does too, he stinks.”

“Fuck you”, Alec mumbled, his words slurred with sleep.

Magnus grinned down at his boyfriend before quickly changing into his night clothes and switching off the light. The distant sunrise granted him enough light to slip into bed. He quickly got himself comfortable, sleeping on his side facing Alec out of habit.

Alec immediately recognised his presence and turned onto his side, slotting his back into Magnus’s front and snuggling into him. Magnus hummed contently, wrapping his arms around Alec for the first time in weeks.

All 3 men slept until 9AM, when Maia rang with an update.

 

 

 

…..

 

 

 

The water pattered down against Alec’s shoulders as he threw his head back. The warm water ran down him, and he moaned unashamedly as his muscles eased.

Magnus chuckled beside him as he scrubbed his hair. “Anyone would think you haven’t showered in months. I’m the one who should be moaning, I haven’t had a proper clean that was more than splashing tap water on myself for weeks.”

Alec blinked the water from his eyes, squinting up at Magnus. “They didn’t let you shower?”

“I wasn’t in an official prison”, Magnus shrugged. “It was a police station single jail cell for weeks. They don’t have showers, so the sink in the public was the best there was.”

Alec frowned as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Y’know if we weren’t on the run from the police I’d so file a report for mistreatment.”

Magnus laughed fondly, squeezing a handful of shampoo onto his hand and rubbing it onto Alec’s head. Alec leant his head back, welcoming the casual intimacy.

“So do you think it’ll be busy out?”

Magnus shrugged, burying his fingers deep into Alec’s hair. “Probably. It’ll be gone 10AM by the time we get there, so enough people will be about that we’ll have to be careful. We’ll just have to cover up.”

Alec grinned unabashedly. “That’s a shame, I prefer you like this”, he teased as he pressed himself up against Magnus’s side.

Magnus smirked coyly, wrapping his arms around Alec. He looked down at his boyfriend with a sly grin. “Now’s probably not the time.”

Alec sighed, but relented. “Probably not. Plus Jace might actually kill me.”

 

 

…..

 

 

“Well”, Jace whistled, impressed. “Margaret Abigail Myers sure has some money.”

Alec rolled his eyes good-naturedly as Magnus finished picking the lock of the front door. After knocking for over 10 minutes with no response, and all their lives counting on it, breaking in seemed the only logical option.

When the door swung open, a stench so strong and foul it made Alec gag, hit their noses. Piled by the door were countless letters and envelopes. Alec turned away.

 _“Had_ some money”, Jace corrected, aware of what the signs indicated.

Alec sighed deeply, inhaled as much fresh air as possible, before he nodded to Magnus to enter. Magnus grimaced but led the trio inside, careful to step over the mail.

“This is”, Jace paused. “Quaint”, he finally settled on, looking around them with distain in his eyes.

Alec nodded, looking around at the sparsely covered walls and tacky décor. “Probably was before it was left unattended for so long.”

Magnus scoffed, raising his eye to the whitewashed and poorly maintained walls. The corners of every wall were black with dirt. “I’m not sure it was nice even then”, he said as he gestured to the out of place and mismatched furniture.

Smacking his arm lightly, Alec moved past his boyfriend and walked ahead, heading up the stairs to a poorly-lit (even after turning the lights on) slim hallway. He paused for a moment, surveying the doors that lined the second floor, before heading for the closest one. He heard Magnus following him at a leisurely pace, clearly wary.

The first room he entered was a small study. It was clearly filled with antique furniture and the walls were lined with oil paintings and portraits. It was evident that the room was far more organised and well put-together than the downstairs of the house.

Aware that they were looking for a tape, Alec began to sort through the countless boxes and containers of books, papers and vinyl’s. When he pulled out a container with CDs and video boxes, he groaned.

Magnus turned from where he was rummaging through desk drawers. “What’s wrong?”

Alec tipped the box to show Magnus the contents, to which Magnus simply laughed. “I’m sure Meliorn made it obvious which one it was, so just give them a quick glance over.”

Alec sighed but turned back to the container, filing through them quickly. Immersed in his task, he didn’t notice Jace approaching until he was stood beside him.

“Nothing downstairs”, he said as he approached.

Alec recoiled in surprise, falling from his crouched position to the floor. He let out an incredibly muscular – of course! – squeal as he fell. “Don’t do that, man!”

Jace smirked, “Sorry?” he said unapologetically.

“Whatever”, Alec said gruffly, getting back up. He nodded to the hallway. “Check out the other rooms. We won’t be much longer.”

Jace nodded and turned to head to the second room. He paused in the doorway, winking. “No sex.”

“Fuck off”, Magnus and Alec both said loudly and simultaneously, which only caused Jace to laugh.

Alec groaned, throwing his head back. “God, I hate him.”

Magnus shook his head, chuckling. “I can’t believe I plan to marry into this family.”

Alec giggled with him for a second before Magnus’s words registered properly. He dropped the tape he held, staring at his own hands, lost in thought. “What did you just say?”

Magnus’s chuckles died down slowly, as though he too hadn’t recognised what he had said. When he appeared to understand the situation, he looked up at Alec slowly, as though approaching a deadly animal. “Nothing?”

Alec met his gaze and shook his head frantically, scrambling to his knees. “No, what did you just say?”

Magnus looked around him for an escape desperately. His eyes settled on the door, but Alec was quick to scramble into his line of vision and block his only exit. Tapes and boxes lay littered around them and Alec sat among them with desperate, wide eyes.

“Don’t lie, tell me what you just said. Please.”

Magnus exhaled, scrubbing a hand down his face. “It’s not a big deal, I didn’t mean it.”

“You didn’t mean it?”

Magnus’s eyes darted back to Alec, whose face had sunken in disappointment. “No, I- I don’t mean like that I just- I didn’t- I wasn’t seriously proposing or anyth- I’m confused right now.”

“You just admitted you want to marry me”, Alec said, eyes alight with amusement.

Magnus shrugged. “Surely that’s not news.”

Alec giggled momentarily before he noticed Magnus’s serious expression. “Wait you’re serious? You can’t- you can’t just admit that you want to marry me, act like its not a big deal and expect me not to want to kiss you.”

Magnus looked taken aback before a grin broke out. “What’s stopping you?”

Alec rolled his eyes but leant forward to press a gentle but long kiss to Magnus’s lips. He pulled back just far enough to meet his eye, and his voice was breathless and light when he spoke.

“I love you, Magnus Bane”, he said almost dreamily.

Magnus smiled softly. “And I you, Alexander.”

 

 

 

….

 

 

 

Due to their distractions, Jace ended up being the one to find the tape. He had quickly looked through everything in the second room, which had apparently been a spare bedroom from the barren look of it, before heading to the third room.

The third room was definitely the main bedroom, if the heavily lined shelves and dishevelled clothes that lay half pulled from the closet was any indication. The floor was littered with socks, books and jewellery. To the untrained eye it appeared as though Margaret had torn her room apart looking for something, but Jace knew that not to be the case. Well, if the almost skeletal body laying diagonally across the bed was any indication. Whether it was Margaret herself or not was unclear.

When Jace had called the pair, Alec had been reluctant to approach. With every step he took in the direction of the 3rd room, the smell had only grown stronger to the point where he was choking on the stagnant air before he even reached the doorway. When he did manage to reach the doorway, what he saw immediately made him fling himself away. Magnus stood frozen in the doorway.

“Oh my God”, Magnus gaped, aghast.

On the bed was a decayed corpse. The woman still had some hair, although much of it was missing, and what little was left of her skin was sunken and grey. It clung to her bones like paint, every dip and curve of her body accentuated as she continued to waste away.

Alec stumbled around the bed slightly, walking around to the side, to observe her as closely as his rolling stomach would allow. She was objectively a beautiful woman if her bone structure was to be believed, but her body was so poorly mistreated by the hands of time that anything left of her beauty was long gone.

Alec winced, looking away. “Jesus Christ.”

“You’re telling me”, Jace grimaced from the opposite corner of the room. “Looks like she’s been dead a while. God knows how long.”

“Years. Lots of years”, Magnus added, shaking his head. “And no one noticed”, he whispered sorrowfully.

Alec cast him a glance, immediately recognising the wet in his boyfriend’s eyes. He looked down at the woman in front of him silently.

“She had a life, and a future. Just like all those people we killed”, he said softly. He was vaguely aware of his brother and boyfriend’s eyes on him, watching him closely, but felt surprisingly detached. He didn’t necessarily feel sorrow thinking about it, but the images that flashed across his vision made him feel like he was sinking in darkness, it’s horrible emptiness pulling him down. The longer he stared the more detached he felt.

Magnus exchanged a glance with Jace before stepping towards the eldest Lightwood sibling. “You okay, Alec?”

Alec shook his head to expel the thoughts. He smiled grimly. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Magnus rested his hand on Alec’s shoulder gently. “Sure?”

“Does it really matter?” Alec laughed callously. “We have stuff to do.”

Magnus sighed, watching Alec closely as he cast his eyes away and back to the body of, presumably, Margaret.

“What’s this?”

Magnus slowly dropped his hand from Alec’s arm and looked down at what Alec had gestured to. In a vice like grip, Margaret held a video. “I have no idea”, Magnus said breathlessly.

Jace was the one who reached across and attempted to gently pry the video from the woman’s hand. He looked surprised when it slid from her grip easily.

Magnus hummed thoughtfully. “Someone must have put it in her hand after she had been dead a while. If not and they put it in her hand early after her death, then when rigor mortis set in the video would be locked in her hand. They must have broken her fingers post rigor mortis to put the video in. Although considering she’s been dead years easily, it’s no surprise.”

Alec frowned. “So does that mean she was murdered by these people, or just a random body they found?”

“No idea”, Magnus shrugged. “I can’t decide which is more terrifying a prospect.”

Jace held the video between his fingers carefully while flipping it over. “It’s addressed to ‘Magnus and friends’.”

Magnus’s head whipped up and he stared at Jace in dismay. “What?”

“It’s addressed to you”, Jace repeated carefully, frowning.

As though he had needed a moment to process, Magnus took a deep breath before nodding. “Okay. Then let’s find out what’s on it.”

“And whatever it is these people want you to see”, Alec added, following behind his brother as he exited the room.

They carefully made their way downstairs and into the living room, where what had previously been an unnoticed detail suddenly became glaringly obvious. The chairs were all lined up side by side, angled to face the small television opposite. Pulled from under the TV station was a small video player, which was sat on the coffee table in front of the seats. The remote sat perfectly straight beside the box.

Alec sighed as he surveyed the room. “I guess this is where they want us.”

“Then let’s get on with it”, Jace said without preamble. He appeared to take a deep and unsteady breath before crossing the room and switching the television on. Alec and Magnus immediately headed to and sat in the seats opposite the TV set as they watched Jace slot the video into the player and the TV flicker momentarily.

Jace sat beside Alec and the three of them all collectively fell silent as the image flickered to life in front of them. It was dark, the video sketchy and distorted with lines and broken images.

 _“Is this thing on?_ ” A blond, attractive man said as he angled the camera properly. He squinted at the lens momentarily before a smile burst across his face. “ _Brilliant._ ”

Alec’s eyes widened as he watched the shaky and poor-quality video in front of him. He dropped his hand to find Magnus’s where it rested beside him. “That’s him”, Alec gasped. “That’s him, that’s the voice.”

Magnus tore his eyes from the screen, staring at Alec’s side profile. “Who? The what?”

Alec met his eyes, breathing laboured. “That’s him, Magnus. The guy on the phone. He’s the man who blew us up. He’s the man behind everything.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you thought and where you think the story is going! Getting responses from you guys makes my day, and gives me a little more motivation to get myself and write these chapters <3   
> Once again thank you all for reading and your endless support :)
> 
> Until next time (planned for next week!)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm currently doing a hella lot of school work so this story will be updated a lot less frequently than COMM but I am going to attempt to do once a week, maybe once a fortnight. That being said there will be periods where uploading may be more frequent so dont worry yourselves too much. 
> 
> As per usual, my tumblr remains justmagnusbane... throw me a request or two ;)
> 
> Thanks so much for reading guys. Lots of love and have a good day!  
> xxx


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